When a doctor has misdiagnosed your breast cancer or hasn’t diagnosed it in a timely manner, there is nothing more important than seeking adequate medical care immediately. Suing a doctor is probably the last thing on your mind. However, if that doctor was at fault, he or she should be held responsible for their actions and you should be compensated.

What is a typical settlement?

It is impossible to gauge what a ‘typical’ settlement in a breast cancer misdiagnosis case might be because the facts and circumstances of each case are different. Here are a few examples of settlements from Attorney Hodes:

• $150,000 – A woman in her mid 60’s had a mammogram screening which was read as negative. She had another the following year which was read as positive, began chemotherapy and had a partial mastectomy. Afterwards, it was discovered that the first mammogram may have been misread and her course of treatment and prognosis were affected as a result.
• $1,000,000 – A pregnant woman in her mid 30’s discovered a lump on her breast. Her doctor recommended that she should follow up on the lump after delivering the baby. She did so, and while the doctor removed fluid from her breast several times, but did not perform an actual biopsy until several months later. The biopsy showed that she had Stage III-B breast cancer. She underwent a radical mastectomy and chemotherapy, but the cancer had already spread to other areas of her body. Later reports showed that her cancer would likely have been curable had a biopsy been performed immediately.

As you can see, every settlement amount depends upon the facts and circumstances of the situation. Thousands of settlements have been awarded over the years, some for less than what is reported above, some for more. Only a qualified attorney can tell you what your case might be worth. To contact an attorney in your area, click here.