Call Our Medical Malpractice Lawyer for a Delay in Diagnosing a Stroke
Most people understand that a stroke is a medical emergency requiring immediate medical intervention, or it can lead to catastrophic brain damage or even death. People are educated often even while in school about the signs of stroke to be able to assist an individual who is suspected of having a stroke. While one would think that of all people, medical providers would intervene in the quickest and most appropriate way, unfortunately this does not always happen. Every minute counts when it comes to a person having a stroke, and even what may seem to be an insignificant amount of time actually could be the difference of life and death, or catastrophic brain damage. When a healthcare provider creates a delay in diagnosing a stroke due to medical malpractice by failing to act appropriately, leading to catastrophic brain damage or death due to a delay in stroke, it could be fatal.
Ask our medical malpractice lawyer in Bend, Oregon for help if you or a loved one were seriously injured or if a loved one was wrongfully killed due to a delay in diagnosing a stroke due to medical malpractice. Our medical malpractice lawyer and compassionate team at our personal injury law firm can help you and your family recover compensation for pain and suffering, medical bills, and lost wages. We know how to handle these types of cases with the correct experts to prove liability and damages. Anytime a stroke is misdiagnosed or delayed, our medical malpractice lawyer should be called for help.
What is a Stroke?
A stroke occurs when there is a loss of blood flow to the brain, resulting in loss of oxygen and damage to the tissues of the brain. If a stroke is identified and treated immediately, a person could be fortunate enough to suffer no deficits. However, if a person experiences a delay in diagnosing the stroke, then it could lead to irreversible brain damage or even death. There are two types of strokes.
One type of stroke is known as an ischemic stroke. This type of stroke occurs due to a blockage or blood flow to the brain. The other type of stroke is referred to as a hemorrhagic stroke, which occurs when there is a tear or rupture in a blood vessel in the brain. Hemorrhagic strokes cause oxygen deprivation and pressure in the brain due to a buildup of blood as a result of the rupture.
Either type of stroke could result in death or disability to an individual if there is a delay in diagnosing a stroke due to medical malpractice. Our personal injury lawyer can help handle this type of case against a defendant healthcare provider or hospital who does this and harms an innocent person.
Why do Some People Experience a Delay in Diagnoses or Treatment of Stroke Due to Medical Malpractice?
A person experiencing a stroke often has very obvious symptoms such as facial drooping, slurred speech or inability to speak, paralysis, difficulty walking, and vision loss as well as many other symptoms. Therefore, medical providers who are supposed to be specially trained to identify medical emergencies such as this one should be able to immediately identify an individual who may be having a stroke and intervene immediately to prevent brain damage or death. Unfortunately, this does not always happen, and examples of reasons for a delay in diagnosing a stroke include the following:
- Failure to appropriately triage a patient in a doctor’s office or emergency room
- Understaffing
- Inexperienced healthcare providers such as doctors or nurses
- Failure to identify a younger patient having a stroke out of the thought process that young people are unlikely to have strokes
- Failing to adhere to a stroke protocol
- Failing to intervene with treatment even is a stroke is identified
- Failure to order the appropriate testing
- Dismissal of a patient’s complaints, leading to a delay in diagnosis of a stroke
- Failing to properly supervise novice physicians or other novice healthcare team members (i.e. nurses)
There are many reasons as to why a person can experience a delay in diagnosis or treatment of stroke. If you or your loved one experienced a delay in diagnosis of a stroke and it lead to brain damage or death, your case should be reviewed by an experienced attorney to determine if medical malpractice played a part in the injuries that were sustained as a result of a delay in diagnosis. Nearly all of these reasons are preventable and could be due to medical malpractice and medical negligence of a healthcare provider. This means that victims and their families may be entitled to compensation for their losses.
Ask Our Law Firm For Help After a Delay in Diagnosing a Stroke Due to Medical Malpractice Harms You or a Loved One in Oregon
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or killed as a result of medical malpractice contact the Oregon Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Kuhlman Law at our number below or fill out the intake form. We offer a free initial case evaluation and handle cases on a contingency fee which means that you pay no money unless we recover.
Our law firm handles cases throughout the state including Bend and Portland Oregon, Redmond, Central Oregon, Sisters, Madras, Multnomah County, Deschutes County, Salem, Eugene, Corvallis, Lane County, Medford, Gresham, La Grande, Albany, Medford, Beaverton, Umatilla, Pendleton, Cottage Grove, Florence, Oregon City, Springfield, Keizer, Grants Pass, McMinnville, Tualatin, West Linn, Forest Grove, Wilsonville, Newberg, Roseburg, Lake Oswego, Klamath Falls, Happy Valley, Tigard, Ashland, Milwakie, Coos Bay, The Dalles, St. Helens, Sherwood, Central Point, Canby, Troutdale, Hermiston, Silverton, Hood River, Newport, Prineville, Astoria, Tillamook, Lincoln City, Hillsboro, and Vancouver, Washington.
We also have an office in Minneapolis, Minnesota and take medical malpractice cases throughout the Twin Cities, including St. Paul, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Dakota County, Washington County, Anoka County, Scott County, Blaine, Stillwater, and Saint Paul Minnesota.
