According to the CDC, every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke, and every 3 minutes and 11 seconds, someone dies of a stroke. If a stroke patient is misdiagnosed, they may suffer long-term effects both physically and financially. In this post, we explore the long-term effects of stroke misdiagnosis and, if there was a stroke misdiagnosis, what legal options a patient may have.
Understanding Stroke Misdiagnosis
Stroke misdiagnosis occurs when the doctor or medical professional fails to correlate the patient's current symptoms with a potential stroke or other cardiac issues. This can occur due to the vast nature of stroke symptoms. Posterior Circulation Strokes (PCS) are especially prone to misdiagnosis due to vague symptoms like dizziness and nausea. The National Library of Medicine states that “Failure to recognize acute stroke may result in worse outcomes due to missed opportunity for acute stroke therapies.” If someone has experienced medical negligence through stroke misdiagnosis, they may have grounds to pursue a medical malpractice claim.
Why Timing Matters In Stroke Diagnosis
Delayed treatment can lead to permanent brain damage, long-term disability, or even death. Treatments that help reduce stroke symptoms can include:
- Emergency endovascular procedures
- Emergency IV medicine
- Removing the clot with a stent retriever
- Angioplasty and stents
When a stroke is misdiagnosed, patients may miss this critical window and these potentially life-saving treatments. Timely and accurate diagnosis is key to improving outcomes. Without it, patients face serious, life-altering consequences. Long-term side effects from a stroke can include:
- Memory loss
- Loss of movement
- Muscle weakness
- Speech problems
- Higher risk of another stroke later in life
These long-term effects can significantly impact a person’s quality of life, requiring ongoing medical care, rehabilitation, and support. When a stroke is not diagnosed correctly, the missed opportunity for early treatment can mean the difference between recovery and permanent disability. Recognizing the signs early and receiving prompt care is critical.
Contact Our Trusted Medical Malpractice Attorneys
Stroke misdiagnosis lawsuits are very complex and require an experienced attorney with access to various medical resources. At Bostwick & Associates, our medical malpractice attorneys have a long history of securing record-breaking results for clients who have suffered from stroke misdiagnosis. In one case, we recovered $3.2 million for a 40-year-old carpenter who suffered a stroke and hemiplegia after doctors failed to diagnose an underlying blood clotting disorder.
If you or a loved one has dealt with the physical and financial turmoil from stroke misdiagnosis, contact our leading personal injury law firm today. We are prepared to lend our expertise to get you the compensation you need.