Hiring a lawyer after a cancer misdiagnosis is not something anyone plans for. Most people reach out after learning their cancer should have been caught earlier and realizing that lost time may have changed everything.
Cancer is consistently identified as one of the three most misdiagnosed diseases in modern medicine. Missed warning signs, delayed testing, and misread imaging results are not rare events. A single medical error by a treating medical professional can allow cancer to advance, narrowing treatment options and worsening outcomes.
Even widely used screening tools have known limitations. The American Cancer Society has acknowledged that mammograms, while the best breast cancer screening test currently available, are not 100% accurate. In fact, screening mammograms miss about 1 in 8 breast cancers. When abnormal
symptoms persist or warning signs are overlooked despite negative screening results, the risk of a delayed cancer diagnosis increases, often leading to more aggressive medical treatment and poorer outcomes.
If you are considering legal action, it is natural to wonder what hiring a lawyer will involve.
At Morelli Law Firm, our role as experienced medical malpractice lawyers is to step in and carry the legal burden for you. We handle the investigation, the filings, and the fight for accountability, so you can focus on your health and your family.
What Happens First: Your Free Case Evaluation
Your first step is a confidential, no-cost consultation. This is not a commitment. It is a conversation focused on understanding what happened.
We will ask about:
- When your symptoms began
- Which providers you saw and what concerns you raised
- What diagnostic tests or cancer screenings were ordered—or not ordered
- When the cancer was ultimately diagnosed
- How the delay affected your treatment options or prognosis
Many clients come to us because something does not add up. When a diagnostic error occurs, a referral is missed, or abnormal results go unaddressed, our job is to determine if the harm was preventable under New York medical malpractice laws.
What We Take Over When You Hire Us
Once you hire us, you are no longer responsible for navigating the legal process. We immediately take over the work that often feels impossible while dealing with serious illness.
Our team will:
- Obtain and review all relevant medical records
- Identify delays, missed findings, or failures in diagnosis
- Examine whether negative screening results were relied on without appropriate follow-up
- Consult with oncology and medical experts
- Determine whether a health care professional failed to meet accepted standards
- Identify all responsible parties
Cancer misdiagnosis cases often involve multiple providers and breakdowns in care. You do not need to untangle that. We do.
How Legal Responsibility Is Determined
Many medical malpractice lawsuits arise from preventable failures in diagnosis. These cases are rarely caused by one mistake alone. They often involve patterns such as:
- Failure to order appropriate diagnostic testing
- Misreading or dismissing abnormal imaging or pathology
- Overreliance on screening tools despite ongoing symptoms
- Delayed referrals to specialists
- Breakdowns in communication between providers
To hold providers accountable, we must prove more than a delayed or missed diagnosis occurred. First, we establish that a provider was responsible for your care and owed a duty to act as a reasonably competent medical professional. We then show how that duty was breached by missing warning signs, delaying testing, or failing to follow up on abnormal results. Finally, we connect that failure to real harm by demonstrating that the delay allowed the cancer to progress and reduced treatment options.
This framework applies across many types of cancer, including cervical cancer and prostate cancer, where timely testing and early detection can directly affect long-term outcomes.
What Filing a Cancer Misdiagnosis Claim in New York Involves
Cancer misdiagnosis claims in New York are governed by Lavern’s Law, which affects how the statute of limitations applies when a diagnosis is delayed. In most situations:
- You have two and a half years from the date you discovered or reasonably should have discovered the malpractice to file a lawsuit.
- There is a seven-year absolute deadline from the date the malpractice occurred.
What Compensation We Pursue on Your Behalf
A cancer misdiagnosis case is not just about the diagnosis itself. It is about what the delay changed in your life.
We pursue compensation for:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost income and reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of quality of life or shortened life expectancy
- Financial and emotional hardship experienced by your family
We work with medical and financial experts to document the full impact of delayed or incorrect diagnosis—not just what appears on medical bills.
What the Timeline Usually Looks Like
While every case is different, most follow a similar timeline:
- Medical investigation and expert review: three to six months
- Filing the lawsuit: typically within the first six months
- Discovery and litigation: six to twelve months
- Settlement discussions or trial preparation: additional time as needed
Many cases resolve within one to two years, though complex cases may take longer. Throughout the process, we keep you informed and work around your treatment schedule.
What You Do Not Have to Worry About
When you hire Morelli Law Firm, you do not have to:
- Track down medical records
- Communicate with insurers or defense attorneys
- Navigate court procedures
- Pay upfront legal fees
We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless we win your case.
Why Clients Choose Morelli Law Firm
Cancer misdiagnosis cases demand experience, resources, and the willingness to challenge powerful medical institutions. Clients trust us because we offer:
- Extensive experience handling complex cancer misdiagnosis claims
- A strong record of verdicts and settlements
- Direct, responsive support during some of the most difficult moments of their lives
At Morelli Law Firm, your case is treated with urgency, care, and purpose.
Speak With a New York Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawyer Today
If you believe your cancer was misdiagnosed or diagnosed too late, getting answers matters.
Contact Morelli Law Firm today for a free, confidential consultation. We’ll review what happened, walk you through your legal options, and pursue accountability so you can focus on your health and future.
