Pancreatic cancer misdiagnosis claims
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If you or a loved one suffered pancreatic cancer misdiagnosis you may be able to claim compensation.
While it won’t undo the devastating harm, compensation may help you to:
- Reinforce the financial security of your family
- access additional help, support and treatment
- highlight mistakes and ask for change to prevent them happening to other people.
Our specialist solicitors are experienced in cancer claims. We understand how difficult it is to be in your position.
Contact us for a free, no pressure discussion about what has happened to you.
Do I have a valid pancreatic cancer negligence claim?
If your misdiagnosis led to delayed or inappropriate treatment which had a negative impact, you may be able to claim.
You may also be able to pursue compensation if there was a mistake in your cancer treatment or surgery for pancreatic cancer and it resulted in harm. Harm may include a requirement to have more invasive treatment, damage to other organs, reduced life expectancy or psychological damage.
If you think your care has left you worse off, you may be the victim of clinical negligence – and we can help.
Common misdiagnosis of pancreatic cancer
There are specific diagnosis and management actions clinicians should take if you display symptoms that could potentially be pancreatic cancer. These are set out in guidance from NICE (The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence).
Failures to follow these guidelines correctly are one thing that may constitute negligence. If those failures led to harm – such as a deterioration in condition, progression of symptoms, reduced life expectancy or, tragically, the death of a loved one – compensation may be appropriate.
Research has shown pancreatic cancer is sometimes misdiagnosed as:
- Gallstones or another gallbladder related illness
- Heartburn and reflux
- Peptic ulcer
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Muscle pain
Initial misdiagnosis can mean a delay in treatment for pancreatic cancer and potentially close the door on the option of surgery that could have cured the disease. It could also mean the pancreas is more damaged than it would have been if treatment was offered earlier, leading to more difficult ongoing symptoms.
A 2021 all-party parliamentary group report noted that while pancreatic cancer was already the deadliest common cancer in the UK, issues created by Covid-19 were expected to lead to more than 500 excess deaths from it by March of that year.
If you or a loved one has not had care of an appropriate level, talk to us. We’re here to listen, advise and support you.
How much compensation for pancreatic cancer misdiagnosis?
The amount of compensation you can claim could be a few thousand pounds to tens of thousands depending on the specific impacts the misdiagnosis had.
As pancreatic cancer can progress quickly, where appropriate, we’ll work to secure interim payments as soon as possible for help such as specialist treatment and support.
Some of the things your compensation may cover include:
- an amount for pain and suffering
- private healthcare
- loss of earnings
- house adaptations / specialist equipment to make life easier
- counselling
- travel expenses.
Our specialist solicitors will work with you to consider all the relevant issues and fund as much help as possible for you and your family.
If you have lost a loved one to pancreatic cancer and believe there were failures in their care, our fatal injury lawyers may be able to help.
Can I make a no-win no-fee pancreatic cancer misdiagnosis claim?
Yes. No win no fee and other payment options are available.
We will discuss all the options with you about how best to fund your claim, to ensure you are not left with a large legal bill and are able to retain as much of your compensation settlement as possible.
More FAQs
We’re happy to answer your queries and questions directly. Do get in touch.
You can also find further help and guidance on our FAQ and guides page and below.
What is Clinical Negligence?
Clinical negligence is any kind of failure by a medical professional to provide services to an acceptable standard.
When clinical negligence happens and someone suffers harm or injury as a result, it can lead to a compensation claim.
Clinical negligence can lead to physical and emotional harm – but what this looks like depends on the precise treatments and failures involved.
Clinical negligence could be caused by a specific medical professional or a healthcare service including:
- A doctor or GP
- Surgeon
- Psychologist or counsellor
- Dentist
- Gynaecologist
- Midwife
- Paediatrician
- Mental health team
- Nurse
- Health care assistant
Clinical negligence can happen in private healthcare and in NHS services. It’s also known as medical negligence.
What is clinical negligence law?
Clinical negligence law provides a route for people who have been harmed by not getting appropriate medical treatment to claim compensation. It is what specialist solicitors use to make their case.
For clinical negligence to lead to a valid compensation claim, it must be proven or accepted that all three of the following occurred:
- A duty of care was owed to the patient
- There was a breach of the duty
- That breach led to harm or injury.
It can be open to interpretation whether a breach of duty did take place and whether that breach led to harm.
For example, a patient who suffers a delay in cancer treatment due to a misinterpreted test result may believe they are a victim of clinical negligence. They would only be entitled to compensation if it is proven, or accepted by their health provider, that the delay led to a worse outcome for them.
If the delay didn’t change the outcome of their treatment, the compensation claim would likely not be valid. A delay may cause psychological harm even if the physical outcome is unchanged, however – this could make a claim valid.
What is clinical negligence compensation for?
The aim of clinical negligence compensation is to allow the injured person to live a life as closely aligned as possible to the one they would have had without the injury. Due to the serious and life-altering nature of some injuries, that new life may still be a very different one.
If you have suffered clinical negligence that leaves you unable to walk, you might need various mobility aids and home alterations to continue with your day-to-day activities. Clinical negligence compensation might help to cover the cost of these things.
Proving negligence can be a complex process, as can agreeing on what help is necessary to allow someone the best life possible after a medical injury.
Reliable legal advice from someone who knows what support is available can help to ensure everything is built into the compensation claim. That’s where specialist solicitors come in.
Where a fatality occurs, those left behind might pursue a fatal injury claim for financial support and some sense of closure.
How do I bring a clinical negligence claim?
To bring a clinical negligence claim against a medical body or professional:
- Contact a solicitor – those with specialist knowledge are often best placed to advise on the strength of your case
- File a complaint with the relevant medical body, if you wish to
- Gather evidence. Often, this means passing over certain medical records
- Make a settlement or go to court, once the case is prepared.
Our specialist clinical negligence solicitors can support you to make a claim and be by your side throughout the entire process.
For more information see our medical negligence claims page or contact us. We’ll take the time to listen and advise you on how to move forward.
