Diseases like cancer must be diagnosed and treated immediately if patients are to survive. With more aggressive forms of cancer, a doctor’s failure to diagnose the disease can be a veritable death sentence for the patient.
The family of a New Jersey firefighter who died of cancer in 2010 is suing the man’s dentist, alleging that a delayed diagnosis resulted in his death. They accuse the dentist of failing to warn his patient of a “raised area” on his tongue in enough time for the man to seek definitive care.
The long-time New Jersey resident died of metastatic tongue cancer days before his wife gave birth to their fourth child. The lawsuit alleges that the dentist first observed the abnormal tissue on the man’s tongue during a visit in December of 2008 but failed to refer him or warn him of it.
The wrongful death lawsuit also states that the man visited the dentist on at least four other occasions over the next nine months. It was on the last visit that the dentist finally made a referral to an oral surgeon for an examination and a tissue biopsy.
Because of the delayed diagnosis, the cancer treatments were especially difficult and ineffective. His family claims that he experienced “severe pain, physical disfigurement, mental anguish and suffering.” He died less than a year after he was finally diagnosed.
The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount for costs and damages. It accuses the dentist of deviating from accepted medical standards, and showing negligence and carelessness in the treatment of his patient.
Bad things can happen if your dentist is not experienced. For a qualified oral surgeon, look no further than a reputable Jersey spine surgeon.