A pathologist is a medical professional responsible for examining bodily fluids and tissue in order to assist in diagnosing a patient that is experiencing certain signs and symptoms of a medical condition. A pathologist will use laboratory tests and equipment to assist with the process of diagnosing serious or sometimes life-threatening illnesses. For this reason, a pathology error can have serious consequences for a patient.

For instance, if a pathologist misses diagnosing cancerous cells from a lung biopsy, the patient may go untreated and this may result in the patient's death. To the contrary, improperly diagnosing something as cancer may result in unnecessary treatments.

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, pathologists have a higher rate of medical malpractice claims than other medical professionals. Some of the medical errors that occur in pathology that may give rise to a medical malpractice claim are as follows:

Misdiagnosing cancer or other serious illnesses;
Failure to diagnose cancer or other serious illnesses; Improperly examining results;
Misinterpreting results;
Examining the wrong specimen;
Providing results for the incorrect patient;
Contamination of the specimen;
Improper test records;
Losing a specimen and never testing it;
Failing to have a record of a patient;
Failing to give results to the ordering physician and confirming patient received results.
While medical malpractice claims for pathology errors are very complex, an experienced New York medical malpractice lawyer can help establish a causal connection. In New York State, a plaintiff must show:

The pathologist had a duty of care;
That duty of care was violated; and
That violation was the proximate cause of the patient's injuries.
A victim of a pathology error that resulted in injuries may be able to recover damages for the following:

Medical expenses;
Rehabilitation;
Pain and suffering; and
Lost wages, among others.

If you or someone you love was a victim of a pathology error and suffered harm, it is important to contact an experienced New York medical malpractice attorney. While Lavern's Law has extended the time frame that a victim of cancer misdiagnosis has to commence a lawsuit in New York, it is important to speak with an experienced medical malpractice lawyer as soon as the misdiagnosis is discovered.