Failure to Diagnose a Stroke

Failure to diagnose a stroke can directly impact a person’s ability to recover. Acting quickly at the first signs of a stroke may save a person’s life. Yet, prevention is the best possible strategy. For many people, failure to diagnose a stroke occurs when a medical provider fails to take appropriate and expected steps when other providers in the same situation would have.

Meinhart & Manning, PLLC recognizes how sensitive these types of cases may be. Our Louisville medical malpractice attorneys are readily available to help you pursue legal action when someone fails to provide the care you deserve.

Failure to Diagnose a Stroke

Strokes Are Serious, Life-Threatening, and Sometimes Treatable Early On

Failure to diagnose a stroke can occur for many reasons. Rushed doctors, inexperienced professionals, or those who do not complete proper testing are just a few examples. Yet, strokes are serious, causing 1 in 6 deaths in 2022 alone, accounting for 17.5% of all cardiovascular disease fatalities.

What’s more, the CDC states that early action is critical to preserving the quality of life and health, with those arriving at the emergency room within 3 hours of their first symptoms less likely to suffer disability 3 months later.

How Stroke Misdiagnosis Occurs

Not all symptoms of strokes are obvious, but medical professionals – from the initial screening team at the ER through to family doctors – have very specific training on what to look for and how to react. Yet, strokes can seem like minor events, such as just a headache. Examples of reasons why failure to diagnose a stroke can occur include:

  • Not receiving the proper diagnostic tests
  • Failing to recognize the symptoms of a stroke
  • Failure to perform immediate care after receiving diagnostic testing results
  • Lack of training on stroke action and treatment
  • Lack of providing proper treatment when warning signs exist

If you believe you or your family member did not receive a proper diagnosis of a stroke, it is critical to speak to a Louisville failure to diagnose lawyer with specific skills in this area of medical malpractice.

Consequences of a Misdiagnosis of Strokes

If a stroke does not receive a proper diagnosis, it can lead to numerous complications for the individual, including:

  • Cognitive deficient onset
  • Loss of memory
  • Mental health disorder
  • Severe brain damage
  • Death
  • Amputation of an extremity
  • Difficulty with speaking

Strokes create high-risk situations for victims. A stroke, which is a blood clot or another obstruction that blocks the flow of blood through the various parts of the brain, can happen in seconds. They stop oxygen from reaching portions of the brain. The sooner it is recognized and treatment applied, the less risk that those portions of the brain will suffer ongoing oxygen deprivation. Any delay in patient care, even by minutes, can lead to disastrous outcomes.

How Our Medical Malpractice Attorney Can Help You

The lawyers at Meinhart & Manning, PLLC, offer comprehensive legal support. That starts with learning what happened in your case. We then investigate and find out who made mistakes and what should have been done instead. By working with medical experts, we can often determine what legal options may be available to you.

Set up a free consultation with Meinhart & Manning now. Discuss your case with our Louisville medical malpractice team. Our experience in helping victims of failure to diagnose a stroke can mean a significant difference in the outcome of your case.