Breast Cancer Claims

Types of breast cancer claim

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in the UK – with around 55,920 new cases reported each year on average in the years 2016-2018.

The disease can now be caught sooner and is more survivable than in the past, with around 76% of people surviving the disease for 10 years or more.

Breast cancer can sometimes be missed, though, or not treated quickly enough by medical professionals.

When you are diagnosed with breast cancer your doctor has a duty of care get you the help you need.

This usually includes referring you for MRI or CT scans or to a specialist, investigating your symptoms properly, and booking you an appointment for a biopsy.

These are just a few of the things medical professionals are required to do and if they fail in their duty of care, it can result in your breast cancer getting worse or possibly even having fatal consequences.

Some of the most common reasons for making a breast cancer claim include:

• Delayed diagnosis
• Failure to diagnose or refer to a specialist
• Misdiagnosis
• Surgical negligence during tests, surgery or treatment – such as failure to remove enough cancerous tissue or cells during surgery

If you have experienced treatment that you believe was below the standard expected, and it has made your breast cancer worse, then you could be entitled to make a cancer claim.

Signs of breast cancer care negligence

When medical negligence occurs, it can have devastating impacts on you.

Delaying treatment can sadly cause the cancer to spread even further, and you may need more treatment as a result.

Signs that your breast cancer care has been handled negligently may include:

• An unnecessary mastectomy – although this is sometimes required, it may be avoided if the breast cancer is treated quickly
• Developing secondary cancer or the cancer spreading further
• Needing more chemotherapy or radiotherapy, which could have been avoided
• Lymph node removal
• Suffering from lymphoedema – which is painful swelling in the arm and is caused by improper radiotherapy or surgery
• Unnecessary surgery or treatments that may not have been needed had your treatment not been delayed

It’s important to remember that not every complication from breast cancer can be considered negligence. Your clinician will have been negligent if they didn’t follow guidelines set out by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) or if they acted in a way that a competent professional wouldn’t have.

If you’re not sure whether you can make a claim, just get in touch and our advisors will help you work it out.

Making a breast cancer claim

If negligent treatment caused your breast cancer to get worse, this should be recognised and the medical professionals should be held to account.

Making a medical claim can help you to get this recognition and also compensate you financially for the pain and suffering the negligence has caused you.

You can start your claim with us at First4Lawyers, where we work with expert solicitors in the area of medical negligence who strive to get you the justice you deserve.

By making a claim, you can also help to highlight what went wrong to the healthcare provider. This can give them the chance to address the problem and stop it happening to someone else.

You can make a claim against the NHS or a private provider. There are separate funds available to both to cover compensation claims, so you won’t directly affect their resources. NHS Resolution covers claims against the NHS, while private providers have insurers who pay compensation.

Is there a time-limit for a breast cancer claim?

There is a three-year deadline to make a claim, from the date you discovered that negligence was to blame for your breast cancer getting worse.

We recommend you make a claim as soon as you can. This is so all details surrounding your case can be easily remembered and vital medical records can be found for evidence.

If you have any questions at all, then feel free to contact us and our knowledgeable advisors will be there to assist you.

Our No Win No Fee service

To make access to justice affordable, we offer a No Win No Fee service. This means there is nothing to pay upfront and nothing to pay if your claim is not successful.

This takes the risk out of making a claim, letting you focus on your health.

All will be explained to you by our advisors before you begin a claim, so you don’t have to worry about any surprises.

Compensation for a breast cancer claim

The amount of compensation you may receive depends on how much suffering you have been through as a result of the breast cancer.

As part of a successful claim, you will receive general damages. This covers the pain and suffering that the negligence has had on you.

You can also receive special damages. This covers the financial impact the negligence has had on you – such as lost wages and medical treatment.

Our compensation calculator could give you an idea of what you might be entitled to.

How can First4Lawyers help?

The First4Lawyers team want what’s best for you, so our compassionate and caring advisors will give you advice tailored to your specific situation.

We also work with the some of the best solicitors in the industry, who have worked extensively on medical negligence and cancer claims. You can be confident you’re in the best hands.

If you have been made to suffer because of a preventable mistake, then you fully deserve to get justice.

Start your claim with us today by giving us call, beginning your claim online or requesting a call back.