Did you suffer for weeks, months, or longer with pain in your glands and sore throats that went untreated, to later find out that your doctor had missed thyroid cancer? If so, you should get a lawyer to fight for the time that you could have been getting treatment, and for the potential problems you may now deal with because of their misdiagnosis.

You go to a doctor and pay them because you trust their medical opinion, and you should be compensated when they put your life in jeopardy. Here are a few things you should have when consulting with your medical malpractice lawyer for the first time.

Positive Diagnosis Information

As soon as you got to the doctor and the doctor required a biopsy, there should have been a pathology report that stated the positive diagnosis. You want this information with any other blood work or image testing that also supported the diagnosis. The date of this information is all important to show how far it was after your initial concerns about a potential problem.

Records from All Relevant Appointments

You want the statements and records from all the appointments you went to. On the discharge paperwork you took when you were leaving the office, there will be comments on what the doctor said the problem was. All of these records showing the misdiagnosis, the ignored symptoms, and the mishandling of your case are the evidence you need.

You should be able to get copies of all this information from your physician's office. If they aren't willing to cooperate your lawyer can put in a court order.

Current Health Status

What is the likelihood that you will beat the cancer now that you've had it for so long without treatment? What type of treatments are you undergoing that are affecting your life? You want to showcase all the problems that you are now dealing with for the case.

The sooner you hire a lawyer the better and you don't want to sign any documents that the medical facility or the doctors want you to sign. You don't want to waive your ability to sue them for all of the problems they put you through, or sign something that says you won't testify against them in court. There needs to be attention drawn to what your medical professionals did, and how it could affect you for the rest of your life.