- Medical negligence experts approved by the Solicitors Regulation Authority
- No Win No Fee legal support available
- Over 15 years of experience in winning cases like yours
- We can help across England and Wales
Can I make a skin cancer claim?
Each year in the UK there are around 17,500 new cases of melanoma skin cancer, the most serious type, and this number is rising. Most skin cancer is curable, if it’s correctly diagnosed and treated early. But when symptoms are ignored or wrongly identified, the consequences can be significant for you and your loved ones.
All medical professionals have a legal duty of care to their patients. If they fail to meet this duty and your condition gets worse as a result, you could be able to make a skin cancer compensation claim. You could also claim on behalf of a loved one.
Speak to our medical negligence specialists if you believe you have a claim or even if you’re not sure. When you request a free, no-obligation chat, our experienced team can advise you if you have a legitimate case and explain the process.
If you decide to go ahead, we’ll navigate the complex claims process on your behalf, allowing you to move forward with your life. We can also act on a No Win No Fee basis, so you won’t pay any legal fees if your claim isn’t successful.
What are examples of skin cancer negligence?
Skin cancer negligence commonly occurs when your condition is misdiagnosed or if there’s a delay in diagnosis. Both situations can cause the cancer to worsen and make it harder to treat. You can make a claim for negligence at any point it occurs in your journey with a healthcare provider.
- Early appointments – if a GP ignores your concerns or doesn’t carry out a thorough investigation, meaning early signs are missed.
- Referrals – if your referral to a specialist is delayed or if relevant checks such as CT and MRI scans or biopsies are carried out or interpreted incorrectly.
- Diagnosis – the misdiagnosis of skin cancer as another less harmful condition, or incorrect staging of it, can affect your treatment options.
- Treatment – if you receive a treatment that’s not suitable. For example, if it’s not aggressive enough or too invasive for your condition, or if it’s poorly administered.
All these errors can negatively impact your condition and have consequences for you and your loved ones. If you’ve had an experience such as this, our specialists can investigate what happened and claim fair compensation.
Types of skin cancer claims
There are two main types of skin cancer:
Non-melanoma – the most common but usually less serious form of skin cancer. Around 156,000 cases occur in the UK each year. There are two main sub-types:
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- Basal cell carcinoma, which forms in your basal skin cells. It’s the most common type of non-melanoma skin cancer.
- Squamous cell carcinoma, which forms in your squamous cells. This type is typically more serious than basal cell carcinoma as it can spread.
Melanoma – the most serious type of skin cancer, forming in cells called melanocytes. It can spread to other areas of your body and needs fast diagnosis and treatment.
Each type can have different symptoms, tests and treatments. But negligence can occur in the identification and care of all of them, as well as other rarer types. Whether you’ve experienced melanoma or basal cell carcinoma misdiagnosis or another type of negligence, our legal experts can help.
Why make a skin cancer misdiagnosis claim?
Skin cancer can be tough for anyone to deal with, even more so when your condition is diagnosed late or incorrectly. Medical mistakes can threaten your long-term health, quality of life, mental well-being and relationships.
Compensation alone can’t make up for what’s happened. But it can help to:
- Pay for necessary treatment and care from high-quality private providers
- Ease financial worries caused by any resulting loss of earnings
- Give you a sense of closure about what happened
- Bring about positive change and stop the same mistakes from happening again
It can be hard to know if you have a valid negligence claim. The thought of taking legal action may feel overwhelming in the aftermath, too. Speak to our specialists to learn where you stand and how we can support you through every step of the skin cancer claim process.
Our experience with skin cancer claims
Carla Duprey Solicitor in our Medical Negligence Team says;
“Seeking compensation for skin cancer misdiagnosis demands the support of solicitors who understand the intricacies of these complex cases. Expert advice is crucial in overcoming legal hurdles and securing the justice and financial support our clients deserve to rebuild their lives. We’re proud to stand by their sides during such vulnerable times.”
FAQs about skin cancer claims
The first step is to contact our team to talk through your situation and learn if we think you have a legitimate claim. This initial chat is free of charge with no obligation to continue. If we agree to take on your case and you decide to go ahead, here’s what to expect:
- Your solicitor will request your medical treatment history, including details from when the negligence occurred.
- They’ll create a written statement for your case which you’ll need to check, approve and sign, before it’s sent to independent medical experts.
- Following their investigation, your solicitor will send a formal letter to the hospital trust or doctor you’re claiming against detailing what happened and why they were at fault. They’ll officially have four months to review it and reply.
- If the defendant admits liability, your solicitor will directly negotiate fair compensation. If they dispute it, your solicitor will go through further negotiations until, if necessary, your case is settled in court.
Like most medical negligence cases, you typically have a time limit of three years. This can be either from the date the negligence occurred or from the date you became aware of it.
Different rules that allow for more time apply to children and people without the mental capacity to claim themselves. Our experts can advise you on which time limits apply to your case. Learn more about claim time limits.
We understand that taking legal action may feel like too much in the immediate aftermath of suffering medical negligence. However, starting a claim earlier can make it easier to gather accurate evidence to support your case. It may also help you access private care or cover lost earnings sooner, allowing you to move forward in life.
If we think your case has a strong chance of success, we’ll investigate and explain your funding options including No Win No Fee. You may see this referred to as a Conditional Fee Agreement, which means the same thing.
We handle most claims on a No Win No Fee basis. This means you won’t pay legal fees if your claim is unsuccessful. This is unless the claim is deemed to be fraudulent, or you have failed to comply with our reasonable requests to pursue your claim.
If you are able to secure compensation, you’ll pay us a small pre-agreed percentage up to 25% for our legal support. Rest assured that your remaining compensation will always be enough for your needs.
Read more about how No Win No Fee medical negligence claims work.
Every skin cancer misdiagnosis or negligence case is different. For example, a melanoma misdiagnosis could demand more compensation than a basal cell carcinoma misdiagnosis due to the potential severity of the condition. Our specialists will work to establish a suitable amount for your situation.
The figure could depend on factors such as:
- The severity of your condition
- How your skin cancer has affected your life and those around you
- Financial impacts, such as being unable to work
- Any future treatment, care or support you may need
Our solicitors refer to the latest edition of the Judicial College Guidelines and case law to research an appropriate figure for a compensation amount for your pain and suffering.
You can claim for skin cancer negligence wherever it occurred, be that through the NHS or a private provider. The process is slightly different for NHS claims, but our team have deep experience of navigating it successfully.
Some people worry that claiming against the NHS could take money away from vital health services. However, NHS Resolution is the body responsible for resolving claims against the NHS and it has a separate budget for awarding fair compensation where needed.
You can make a skin cancer misdiagnosis or malpractice claim for someone else if they:
- Are under the age of 18
- Aren’t in a suitable mental or physical state to claim themselves
- Have passed away
If you’re not sure where you stand, our legal team can advise you further.
Why choose Been Let Down to support your skin cancer compensation claim?
If you think you’ve been let down by a medical professional relating to skin cancer care, we can help you through this difficult time. Here’s why you can trust us with your claim:
- We handle many cases on a No Win No Fee basis, meaning you won’t pay legal fees unless you win.
- We’re recognised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and are committed to meeting or exceeding its standards.
- Our lawyers are members of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, The Law Society and the Liverpool Law Society.
- We’ve been a trusted independent law firm for almost 20 years, gaining the experience needed to win your case and support you along the way.
- Don’t just take our word for it – see our hundreds of positive client reviews.
Talk to us about your claim today
Skin cancer negligence can have serious consequences. We’re available to help whether you’re confident you have a claim or you’re unsure.
Get in touch today to discuss your situation and the claims process with one of our experienced solicitors. You can call us free on 0800 234 3234 or request a call back for a time that suits you.
- Accident & Emergency (A&E) Compensation Claims
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- Bowel Cancer
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- GP Negligence Compensation Claims
- Gynaecological Medical Negligence
- Medical Misdiagnosis Compensation Claims
- Medication Errors and Negligence Compensation Claims
- NHS Medical Negligence Claims
- Ophthalmic Claims
- Orthopaedic Injury
- Surgical Errors Compensation Claims
Sara is a qualified Solicitor and Head of the Liverpool Clinical Negligence Department at Been Let Down.
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