With a stroke, every single second counts. Quick, effective, and appropriate care can be the difference between a full and speedy recovery and lifelong disability or death. There is no room for medical error when it comes to treating this serious, life-threatening condition.
When that treatment was delayed or withheld, a North Miami stroke medical malpractice lawyer can help. Our medical malpractice attorneys are ready to guide you through a claim.
Medical professionals should understand how serious a stroke is. When a medical professional fails to act within the standard duty of care, a stroke can progress quickly, causing permanent paralysis, cognitive issues, speech distortion, and the risk of death. Medical professionals who may face malpractice lawsuits from stroke patients include ER physicians, neurologists, primary care physicians, and radiologists. In some cases, malpractice suits are brought up against entire hospital systems when the issue was systemic (such as gaps in staffing).
These are some of the most common causes of a malpractice claim related to strokes:
Sometimes, the symptoms of a stroke are overlooked or mistaken for some other cause. If, for example, a doctor assumes that slurred speech and drooping facial features are caused by intoxication and does not check for stroke, the patient could miss out on life-saving treatment options.
There is a small window in which an ischemic stroke patient can receive tPA. When that window passes, so does the patient’s best chance at a full recovery. Other issues could include failure to order prompt imaging scans or other diagnostics. tPA, short for tissue plasminogen activator, is a medication used to treat ischemic strokes and other conditions caused by blood clots. tPA is most effective when administered within a narrow window of time after stroke onset, typically within 4.5 hours.
Strokes are often identified by imaging scans (such as from a CT or MRI). If a medical professional improperly interprets these scans, the patient could receive the incorrect treatment or delayed care.
Particularly in patients suffering from a hemorrhagic stroke, surgery is often the most important and pressing course of action. Failure to transfer a patient from the ER to a surgery room or delay of surgery can be deadly.
An attorney in North Miami could determine the cause of the stroke malpractice and who is responsible.
In a malpractice case, the person who did not receive proper and timely care will often get a settlement offer to cover medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If the patient died as a result of the malpractice, their family or representative can bring a wrongful death lawsuit forward.
In order to establish legal responsibility, a lawyer will help their client prove two things. First, they must show (in accordance with Florida Statutes § 766) that the medical professional acted below the standard of care for their profession. This means that they must gather and present evidence that the action (or inaction) did not meet the standard. Second, they must show that the incident of malpractice caused harm to the plaintiff. For example, if the patient died after delayed stroke care, the North Miami lawyer will help present evidence that the death was a likely result of the delayed care.
If you or someone in your family has faced consequences due to poor care or mistakes after a stroke, reach out to our North Miami stroke medical malpractice lawyer. We bring our experience, expertise, and attention to detail to every case. We will carefully gather and consider the evidence and provide you with the advice and guidance you need. Contact Kaire & Heffernan today.
(305) 876-6001