Of the 524 firms on our 92 city lists in the United States, Schochor, Staton, Goldberg, and Cardea, P.A. scores highest on malpractice focus, published results, client reviews and experience, followed by Hastings Law Firm and The Law Offices of Dr. Michael M. Wilson MD, JD & Associates. Each firm keeps its best score from the cities it serves; open a city for its full list.
Best Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawyers in the United States
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4.8181 Google reviewsRated 4.8 out of 5 on Google from 181 reviews
Best for: Birth injury and hospital negligence
In its published cases, Schochor, Staton, Goldberg, and Cardea, P.A. describes oxygen deprivation during delivery and Erb’s palsy; it also publishes verdicts involving deaths after hospital care.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
4.6102 Google reviewsRated 4.6 out of 5 on Google from 102 reviews
Best for: Misdiagnosis and surgical injury claims
Among Hastings Law Firm's published results are a $19,750,000 failure-to-diagnose settlement and a $10,700,000 negligent-prescribing jury verdict. Because it focuses on malpractice and publishes those results, it tops this list.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
5.0216 Google reviewsRated 5.0 out of 5 on Google from 216 reviews
Best for: Delayed diagnosis and anesthesia injuries
An alleged delayed diagnosis of HSV encephalitis is behind the $11.65 million result published by The Law Offices of Dr. Michael M. Wilson MD, JD & Associates. For negligent anesthesia care, it reports another result of $8 million.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
4.724 Google reviewsRated 4.7 out of 5 on Google from 24 reviews
Best for: Misdiagnosis and surgical injury claims
A $12 million misdiagnosis result stands out among the cases published by The Law Offices of Cardaro & Peek, LLC. For negligent surgery, it lists a $7.9 million result; for breast cancer misdiagnosis, it lists $7.1 million.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
4.7226 Google reviewsRated 4.7 out of 5 on Google from 226 reviews
Best for: Birth injury and delayed diagnosis
Among Wapner Newman Attorneys At Law's listed results are $8.4 million for brain injury after a delayed diagnosis and $7 million for birth trauma causing brain damage.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
Breast cancer misdiagnosis lawyers by state
The rules change from one state to the next, so the lawyers near you are the ones to call.
A breast cancer misdiagnosis means the cancer wasn't recognized when it should have been, perhaps because it was mistaken for something else. A malpractice review looks at the care you received to see if it fell below the applicable standard, causing you harm. If no one addressed your lump or abnormal result, you'll need to discuss that earlier care without mixing it into questions about the treatment you need now.
You don't have to work out whether you have a legal claim yourself. Write down what you remember while keeping the records you already have. A lawyer in your state can help you assess whether the care you received earlier needs a closer review. You'll find general information here, not advice for your own case.
What a missed breast cancer diagnosis can involve
If there was an earlier chance to investigate breast cancer, the time that passed before diagnosis often needs a closer look. The concern might be a misread image, rather than a lump someone dismissed. An abnormal result raises a different question: did anyone follow up after it came back? A useful review examines those events separately so that a possible mistake at one appointment doesn't stand for the whole course of care.
According to VSCP Law's discussion of misdiagnosed cancers, doctors may mistake breast cancer for fibrocystic breast changes or benign cysts. Mastitis also appears there, along with other inflammatory conditions. Although these may explain the findings differently, they don't prove that a particular diagnosis was unreasonable.
Someone might also have misread an image. According to Raynes & Lawn's breast cancer diagnosis page, a misread MRI can lead to cancer treatment that's unnecessary or delayed. You can't use that discussion to establish what appeared on a particular patient's image.
A later cancer diagnosis doesn't, by itself, show that something different should have happened when you attended an earlier appointment. Check the earlier chart and imaging report to see what the clinician knew at that time.
Warning signs and unanswered concerns
Your timeline should mention any lump you reported during care. One participant in a Mayo Clinic Connect discussion about radiology misdiagnosis describes feeling three lumps before later receiving a Stage 3 diagnosis. That's what a patient recounts. What an earlier mammogram should have shown isn't a clinical finding that this account establishes.
A personal account published by the Journal of Participatory Medicine includes pain and fatigue. During a nearly three-year period of missed diagnosis, its author describes experiencing extreme pain and fatigue. You can't diagnose yourself by reading that story. You also can't use it to decide whether someone else's clinician provided negligent care.
Start with the concern you raised that didn't get an answer. Record what you reported and how it was explained to you, then describe what happened next. Talk with your treating clinician about a lump or other symptoms that continue to worry you, even while reviewing earlier care. A legal consultation can't take the place of medical care.
Write down who heard your concern, along with the date you first raised it.
Keep any message that asks you to return or mentions an abnormal result.
Write the explanation down as you remember it. Your note should say it's from memory, not a quotation from the chart.
Your current clinician can tell you what needs medical attention now. Discuss the earlier diagnosis separately, rather than mixing the questions together.
What published patient accounts can and cannot tell you
You might think of questions after reading a patient's account, but it can't tell you how often breast cancer is missed or give you a survival rate. You can't use those accounts to tell whether your own delay changed the treatment you needed.
Interval described by a Mayo Clinic Connect participant before a later Stage 3 diagnosis; an individual account, not a study result.
Your appointment dates may look very different when you compare them with another patient's account. Don't judge your concern by how long someone else waited. Bring records of your diagnosis to the consultation, along with the dates of your appointments.
A missed diagnosis on its own doesn't mean you have grounds for a malpractice claim. The review starts by checking the care against the applicable standard before looking at causation and harm. A lawyer in your state can explain how those requirements apply when reviewing the particular care that you're concerned about.
The standard of care
The review starts with the earlier care: did it meet the applicable standard given what was happening then? What would a qualified medical reviewer need to check the response to your lump or the way someone read your image? Your lawyer can explain that. You can't answer that question just by pointing to an unfavorable result.
What decision worries you? Be specific. You might question the imaging report itself, rather than what someone did after receiving it. Say so if you don't know. You can leave the question of who was responsible open while someone reviews the records.
Causation and harm
The next question is whether the injury came from the alleged failure in care. What medical evidence would show that your care would have been different if someone had diagnosed the cancer earlier? Treatment might have followed a delay. That sequence doesn't prove you needed the treatment because of the delay, rather than for another reason.
Tell the lawyer what harm you want them to examine in your case. You may feel you lost an earlier opportunity, especially if you think your treatment became more extensive. Call these concerns if your clinician hasn't addressed what you're describing. You don't need to calculate what the claim is worth yourself; keep your treatment records and bills.
Start by drafting a short timeline. Rather than mixing medical events with conclusions about fault in a long statement, a timeline gives you something more useful. Later, you can add the details.
Getting ready for a case review
1
Put the key dates in order
After noting the first concern you reported, add the imaging appointment and any communication about follow-up. Add the date of the eventual diagnosis. If dates are approximate, label them that way instead of guessing.
2
Gather the records you already have
Keep the earlier imaging report and visit notes in the same place as your later diagnosis records. Your lawyer can explain which other records you'll need and how you can get them. Where you can, save the original files.
3
Preserve the conversations
If you have portal messages or appointment instructions, keep them. When writing down telephone conversations you remember, note who spoke with you, and make clear which details come from saved messages rather than your memory.
4
Describe the disputed decision
What do you think was missed? Write it down. Point to the appointment where you discussed a lump, or name the abnormal result you think went without follow-up; you don't have to prove the whole case.
5
Ask about harm and timing
To connect the earlier care to your later injury, what evidence might help? Ask that question. Before you finish the consultation, ask about the filing deadline and whether anything must happen while you're still collecting records.
Before organizing a parent's paperwork to help them, ask for their permission. How much to discuss is their choice. You can prepare a page of questions without asking them to go back through every appointment.
Deadlines differ by state
For a breast cancer misdiagnosis claim, there isn't one nationwide statute of limitations. The deadline rules change from state to state. After visiting our state pages, ask a lawyer in the state connected to your care which of those rules apply to you.
The day you received your cancer diagnosis isn't necessarily when the clock began. Which date controls for you? Ask the lawyer. Along with the earlier appointment dates, give the lawyer the date when you first became concerned that something had been missed.
Questions to ask a lawyer
When you first talk, ask what the lawyer would do to investigate the diagnostic concern in your case. Rather than a prediction about winning, look for concrete answers.
When breast imaging was misinterpreted or a reported lump wasn't investigated, have you handled those claims?
Would a medical reviewer need the original images, and which records would you look at first?
To assess whether the delay changed treatment or caused another injury, what would you examine?
To assess which deadline applies, what dates would you need me to give you?
If the firm decides not to proceed, how are fees and record-review costs handled?
On its website, Raynes & Lawn discusses breast cancer misdiagnosis. If a firm has such a page, it tells you only that the firm discusses this type of claim. To learn about its experience, ask about the specific issue raised by your records. A practice-area page isn't something to read as a promise about your case.
What to do next
If you have current medical questions, ask your treating team. To address the legal questions, gather the earlier report, put together a short timeline and arrange a consultation about the rules in your state. Do you still need records? Ask what to collect after explaining what you believe happened.
How can I help a parent with cancer who is worried about a missed diagnosis?
What help does your parent want? Ask them. With permission, you could help build a separate timeline for a lawyer after organizing appointment notes or writing down questions for the treating clinician. Questions about current treatment shouldn't get mixed into concerns about earlier care. Before your parent has had a chance to discuss a claim, don't press them to decide whether they want to pursue one.
What is the 10-year survival rate for HER2-positive breast cancer?
A 10-year survival rate for HER2-positive breast cancer isn't established by the linked patient narratives or the law firm discussions. They aren't a basis for estimating your outlook. For survival information that applies to your diagnosis, ask your oncology team, and have them explain the limits of that information. To keep the malpractice question separate, ask what medical evidence could show whether your care would have changed with an earlier diagnosis.
What are some useful topics for a breast cancer support group?
Preparing for appointments could be a topic, or you might talk about getting paperwork help. Another possibility is how to explain your needs to family. If a missed diagnosis worries you, you can ask how others organized their questions, but don't ask the group to decide whether malpractice occurred. Hearing someone else's experience may give you a question to raise. You can't tell from that person's experience what your earlier clinician should have done for you.
What should I do after a breast cancer diagnosis if I suspect an earlier mistake?
If you have current treatment questions, ask your clinician. To record the earlier care separately, save the imaging report you have, then note when you reported symptoms. Save messages about follow-up as well. To discuss a possible claim and the statute of limitations, contact a lawyer in your state. Before requesting a review, you don't have to work out whether someone misread an image.
Where does breast cancer usually spread first, and does spread prove a delayed diagnosis?
Where breast cancer usually spreads first isn't established by either the Mayo Clinic Connect account or the Journal of Participatory Medicine narrative. To understand your findings, ask your treating clinician to explain them. Even when a later diagnosis involves spread, that alone doesn't establish malpractice. When reviewing the legal question, someone must still examine the earlier care and whether failing to meet the applicable standard caused harm in your situation.
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