A stroke is a medical emergency that requires immediate diagnosis and treatment. A doctor’s failure to diagnose and promptly treat a stroke can lead to a worsened condition and prognosis for the patient. If you or a loved one has suffered harm due to a doctor’s negligent failure to timely treat a stroke, consult with an attorney at Barry D. Lang, M.D. & Associates for legal advice and assistance. Our team of Boston failure to treat stroke lawyers can help you determine if you have grounds to pursue a medical malpractice case in Boston.
Why Choose Barry D. Lang, M.D. & Associates?
- Our founder, Barry Lang, was a medical doctor and an attorney. His training continues to give our lawyers and staff a unique perspective on medical malpractice case evaluations.
- We have doctors and nurses on staff. We can conduct rapid and effective case reviews without having to wait for outside experts for analysis.
- Our law firm operates on a contingency fee basis. This means you won’t owe us anything in attorney’s fees unless we successfully secure financial compensation for your malpractice case.
What Are the Symptoms of a Stroke?
A stroke, sometimes referred to as a brain attack, can occur when something causes a loss of blood flow to the brain. This can damage the tissues of the brain, resulting in a stroke. If someone has a stroke, he or she may experience sudden paralysis or the inability to move, numbness or weakness (especially in one side of the body), loss of balance or coordination, dizziness, vision problems, slurred speech, trouble talking, confusion and disorientation, a sudden and severe headache, nausea or vomiting, and seizure.
There are three types of strokes: transient ischemic attack, ischemic stroke and hemorrhage stroke. Each type is serious and requires immediate medical intervention. A transient ischemic attack occurs due to the temporary block of blood flow to the brain, such as from a blood clot. This type of stroke typically only causes temporary symptoms that go away after a few minutes or hours, once the blood flow is restored.
An ischemic stroke occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the brain become blocked or narrowed. Ischemic stroke is the most commonly diagnosed type. A hemorrhage stroke occurs when an artery or blood vessel in the brain bursts and bleeds. This can create pressure against the brain that can cause temporary or permanent brain damage.
Is the Failure to Treat a Stroke a Medical Malpractice Claim?
Failing to treat a stroke in a timely manner often stems from stroke misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis or the failure to diagnose. Stroke misdiagnosis can happen when a doctor misinterprets a patient’s symptoms and attributes them to something else – typically a condition that is not as severe, such as migraine, vertigo, seizure disorder, ear infection and hypoglycemia. Failing to diagnose and treat stroke may constitute medical malpractice if the doctor committed an act that a reasonably prudent doctor would not have under the same circumstances.
Examples include:
- Ignoring a patient’s complaints or symptoms
- Failing to consider a patient’s medical history
- Failing to consider the possibility of a stroke in a younger patient
- Ignoring stroke risk factors, such as poor diet and tobacco use
- Failing to conduct a proper neurological evaluation
- Improperly administering neurological tests
- Misreading test results
- Failing to refer the patient to a specialist
- Failing to schedule a follow-up appointment
These mistakes can lead to a doctor failing to diagnose a stroke – and, by extension, the patient failing to receive the treatment that he or she needs after having a stroke. If a doctor is guilty of a breach of the practicable standards of care when diagnosing a patient, such as failing to order the proper tests to rule out a stroke, he or she may be guilty of medical malpractice.
What Are the Treatments for Stroke?
When a stroke is promptly and accurately diagnosed, a patient can receive early therapies, such as physical and speech therapy, to heal the damage caused by a stroke. Medication injections can also help by dissolving blood clots and restoring blood flow to the brain if a stroke is caught early enough. This can reduce the overall damage to the brain. Blood thinners such as aspirin can also help reduce the effects of a stroke and prevent future strokes from occurring.
If a stroke is left undiagnosed and untreated, the damage to the brain can grow exponentially and cause severe harm to the patient. This may include permanent brain damage, restricted physical abilities, and weakness or paralysis on one side of the body. An undiagnosed stroke also increases the patient’s risk of additional – potentially more severe – strokes in the future, as the patient will not receive any preventive medicines or advice from a doctor to reduce stroke risk.
What Compensation Is Available In a Boston Stroke Misdiagnosis Case?
Statistically, women are more likely than men to suffer from stroke misdiagnosis. Younger patients – those between the ages of 18 and 45 – are also more likely to be misdiagnosed. Finally, patients who are seen in busy or crowded emergency rooms can be misdiagnosed and left untreated for stroke. If you or a loved one suffered from a doctor’s negligent failure to timely diagnose and treat stroke, you could be eligible for compensation for several related economic and noneconomic losses:
- Additional medical care needed, such as surgeries or therapies
- Ongoing rehabilitation
- Prescription medications and medically necessary devices
- A wheelchair or other mobility-assistive devices
- Accommodations for permanent disability
- Losses of income and future capacity to earn a living
- Attorney’s fees and other out-of-pocket costs
- Physical pain and emotional suffering
- Mental anguish and trauma
- Diminished enjoyment or quality of life
- Loss of consortium
Discuss the value of your potential medical malpractice case with a skilled Boston medical misdiagnosis attorney before jumping to accept a fast settlement from an insurance company. Unfortunately, you cannot trust the case evaluation that you receive from an insurance company to be fair, as an insurer is a for-profit operation that wants to minimize your payout. You can, however, trust an attorney to give you an accurate and honest case estimation.
Get a Free Consultation with Our Stroke Misdiagnosis Lawyers in Boston
If you or someone you love has suffered due to the negligent failure to diagnose and promptly treat a stroke in Boston, Massachusetts, contact Barry D. Lang, M.D. & Associates. Our law firm offers free consultations with an experienced Boston medical malpractice lawyer. Our team of Boston stroke misdiagnosis lawyers and on-staff doctors are prepared to help you understand your rights. Call 1-877-LAW-DOCS today.