Minnesota Failure to Diagnose Stroke
Strokes, medically known as cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs) are the leading cause of disability in American adults. Strokes are extremely common but fortunately, there are also always ways to effectively prevent and treat them. Sadly, these measures are not always enough. Physicians overlook or discredit the early signs of catastrophic strokes that affect tens of thousands Americans each year, according to the American Heart Association. This delays treatment, which can help to reduce the risk and outcome of recurrent strokes, as well as disability and death.
If a doctor failed to diagnose a stroke in you or a loved one, you may be able to file a claim for financial compensation. These claims are incredibly complex. A Minnesota failure to diagnose stroke lawyer can help you through the process so you obtain the full and fair settlement you are entitled to.
Filing a Lawsuit After Failure to Diagnose Stroke
Delayed diagnosis and failure to diagnose are some of the most common medical malpractice claims filed every year. Still, these claims are incredibly complex and rely on the specific facts of any one case.
To determine if there are valid grounds to pursue a lawsuit, a full investigation must be conducted to determine if malpractice occurred. One such way this is determined is by obtaining a certificate of merit, which is required in malpractice cases in Minnesota. The certificate is a sworn statement from another doctor in the same field as the defendant and states that the defendant did not act in a reasonable manner that provided the highest standard of care to the patient.
The majority of lawsuits involving a failure to diagnose a stroke allege that negligence took place. This negligence, or carelessness, can take many forms, including:
- Neurological exams and inadequate evaluations, such as failing to obtain medical history
- Failing to perform a timely thrombectomy or administer a TPA in a timely fashion
- Missed signs, symptoms, and warning signs of a stroke
- Failing to diagnose high blood pressure, heart disease, and atrial-fibrillation
- Failing to refer patients to appropriate specialists, such as neurologists
- Failing to transfer patients to another stroke center, hospital, or other provider
- Delaying or failing to order appropriate tests, such as MRI or CT scans
- Misinterpreting or misreading test results
- Emergency room errors and hospital negligence
- Postoperative care errors and other surgical errors
Any time these acts of negligence take place, it is critical to determine who was liable for them.
Determining Liability in Failure to Diagnose Stroke Cases
It is natural to assume that the doctor who saw the patient suffering from a stroke is liable when one has gone undiagnosed. However, that is not always the case. Stroke patients see many different healthcare professionals in many different settings when they suffer from a stroke and any one of these could be liable. The most common liable parties in stroke cases are as follows:
- ER nurses and doctors
- Primary care doctors
- Emergency departments and hospitals
- Cardiologists
- Neurosurgeons and neurologists
- Radiologists
A Minnesota medical malpractice lawyer can identify which party is liable so you claim the full settlement you deserve.
Our Medical Malpractice Lawyer in Minnesota Can Determine Liability
If you or someone you love has suffered from a stroke that was not properly diagnosed, our Minnesota medical malpractice lawyer can help. At Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC, our seasoned attorneys will hold the appropriate party liable and pursue the full damages you deserve. Call us today or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.
