Jaroslawicz & Jaros, PLLC successfully represented a 48-year-old man who was a victim of medical malpractice due to the failure of his physician to diagnose nasopharyngeal cancer. He had suffered with sinusitis, bleeding from his nose, nasal congestion and hearing loss while under treatment with his doctor. These symptoms persisted for over two years yet the doctor merely prescribed antibiotics, nasal sprays and hay fever/allergy medications. Meanwhile, the undiagnosed cancer progressed from a localized, treatable cancer to a terminal form of cancer that spread. With the assistance of our medical experts, we were able to demonstrate that the doctor should have referred his patient to specialists during the time period where the cancer could have been treated and before it had spread. This claim was settled in less than two years for $1.25 million. Failure to diagnose and misdiagnosis are the most common types of medical malpractice claims. Due to failures in the diagnostic process, physicians many times fail to adequately diagnose conditions which causes patients’ conditions to worsen. Nasopharyngeal cancer is a type of cancer in which cancerous cells grow in the nasopharynx, which is the region of the throat just behind the nose. This type of cancer falls into the category of head/neck cancer. Common and known symptoms of nasopharyngeal cancer include:
- lumps in the neck
- difficulty breathing or talking
- sore throat
- persisting headaches
- hearing loss / ringing ears
- nosebleeds
The plaintiff in this case displayed known symptoms of nasopharynx cancer. These symptoms combined with the man’s background (certain individuals are more prone to this type of cancer than others) should have indicated to the doctor that the man may have cancer and should be referred to a specialist. Cancer develops in stages. If it is caught early on, then there is a higher likelihood of treatment and recovery. Since our client suffered for two years with his symptoms without a diagnosis, the cancer spread and became terminal. At Jaroslawicz & Jaros, PLLC, one way we protect victims of negligence is by holding doctors and other medical professionals accountable for their malpractice. We are proud to have been able to do just that in this man’s case. If you’ve been injured through the negligent or careless actions of another, contact a New York City personal injury lawyer at our firm today for a free initial consultationto discuss your case.
