Failure to Diagnose Stroke

Strokes are urgent medical episodes that can cause life-changing injuries. It is critical that stroke victims obtain prompt diagnoses, since they can help prevent further harm, including permanent brain damage and death. Sadly, though, many doctors ignore signs and symptoms indicating that a patient has suffered a stroke, which often leads to catastrophic harm. If you or a loved one were hurt due to a doctor’s negligent failure to diagnose stroke, you have a right to seek compensation and should confer with an attorney. The Boca Raton misdiagnosis lawyers at The Grife Law Firm are proficient at helping people who have suffered devastating injuries seek redress from the parties that caused their harm, and if you hire us, we will argue zealously in favor of your recovery of damages.

A key indicator of a stroke is a sudden severe headache, along with dizziness. Numerous other signs and symptoms can indicate that a person is having a stroke, including paralysis or numbness on one side of the body, weakness in the extremities, and a lack of coordination or ability to walk. People suffering a stroke may also have difficulties with speaking or understanding people who are speaking.

Strokes range in severity from mild to severe, but most people who have strokes suffer lifelong impairments to some degree. They may suffer partial paralysis, difficulty speaking, and memory and mood issues. In many instances, people who have strokes need extensive physical and occupational therapy and are no longer able to work, care for themselves, or live alone.

To mitigate the severity of a person’s injuries, a stroke must be diagnosed as soon as possible. There are numerous diagnostic tests that medical professionals can conduct to determine if a person has undergone a neurological event, but when doctors ignore or discount a person’s symptoms, a stroke may go undiagnosed.

A doctor’s failure to diagnose a stroke may constitute medical malpractice. It is important to note that there are strict deadlines for when medical malpractice claims must be filed in Florida. Specifically, Florida Statute 95.11 dictates that medical malpractice lawsuits must be filed within two years from the harmful act or within two years from when the injured person discovers or reasonably should discover the source of his or her injury. All medical malpractice actions must be brought within four years, though, unless the injured person was a child under the age of eight at the time of the harm, or unless the defendant’s fraud, concealment, or intentional misrepresentation caused delays in filing the claim.

If a medical malpractice claim is filed, the plaintiff’s lawyer must prove that the defendant deviated from the prevailing standard of care and that the deviation proximately caused the plaintiff to suffer measurable losses. The standard of care that will prevail is the skill, treatment, and care that a competent professional working in the same specialty as the defendant would deem acceptable and appropriate in light of the relevant circumstances. Typically, expert testimony is required to both establish the standard and demonstrate the defendant’s breach.

Strokes can cause lasting impairments, and people who suffer strokes have a greater chance of a good outcome if they receive a timely diagnosis. If you or a member of your family were harmed by a doctor’s failure to diagnose a stroke, you might be owed damages, and it is in your best interest to consult an attorney. The knowledgeable medical malpractice attorneys at The Grife Law Firm are committed to helping people harmed by medical negligence in the pursuit of damages. We have an office in Boca Raton, where we regularly help victims of medical malpractice. We also represent people in cases in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and West Palm Beach. You can contact us through our form online or by calling 855-998-0770 to set up a consultation.