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Home > Malpractice > Medical Malpractice > Failure to Diagnose Stroke

Failure to Diagnose Stroke Claims Attorneys

in Denver and throughout Colorado and Wyoming

Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability and one of the leading causes of death in the United States. When recognized and treated quickly, the damage caused by a stroke can be reduced or avoided and the likelihood of survival and recovery are significantly improved. Failure to diagnose a stroke can lead to avoidable brain injury or death.

Types of stroke

  • Ischemic strokes account for more than 80% of all strokes. They are caused by a blood clot blocking the blood flow to the brain.
  • Transient ischemic attack (TIA), often called a mini-stroke, resolves on its own, usually in less than half an hour, but may indicate that a more serious stroke is likely to follow.
  • Hemorrhagic strokes are caused by a blood vessel rupturing in the brain. The blood which is spilled into the brain accumulates and compresses brain tissue killing brain cells.

Stroke symptoms

All types of strokes have the same symptoms including:

  • Weakness, heaviness, numbness, or paralysis of the face, arm or leg, often on one side of the body
  • Difficulty speaking or finding words
  • Difficulty understanding speech
  • Sudden, unexplained, severe headache
  • Sudden loss of vision of change of vision such as dimness, blurriness, or double vision in one or both eyes
  • Dizziness, loss of balance, loss of coordination, or difficulty walking
  • Fainting
  • Confusion

When doctors and other health care providers encounter stroke symptoms in a patient they should inquire about risk factors for stroke including:

  • TIAs
  • Prior stroke or heart attack
  • Medications which increase chance of stroke
  • High blood pressure
  • Diabetes
  • Carotid artery disease
  • Atrial fibrillation
  • High cholesterol
  • Age
  • Family history of stroke

When a stroke is overlooked, victims are sent home untreated or may be treated for a condition which they do not have. Precious time is lost and irreversible damage, additional stroke, or death may result. Doctors fail to diagnose strokes for many reasons including:

  • Inadequate evaluation of medical history
  • Failure to inquire about risk factors when stroke symptoms are present
  • Assumption that patient is not at risk for stroke due to age or overall good health
  • Failure to order tests, often in an effort to cut costs
  • Improper reading of tests
  • Laboratory error
  • Errors in recording intake interview

Treatment after a stroke may include surgery and/or anti-clotting medications. Failure to treat a stroke can carry serious consequences for the patient including:

  • Subsequent, more severe stroke
  • Chronic pain
  • Loss of motor skills
  • Paralysis
  • Speech impairment
  • Difficulty understanding word, reading, and writing
  • Memory problems
  • Behavioral changes
  • Depression
  • Difficulty eating or swallowing
  • Seizures
  • Death

Stroke recovery can be a long and difficult process. Many victims face long-term disability, a lengthy rehabilitation process, major lifestyle changes, and some do not survive. Chances for a successful recovery and survival are significantly increased when a stroke is diagnosed and treated immediately. The possibility that a patient has suffered a stroke should never be overlooked when the symptoms are present, no matter how young or healthy a patient may seem.

If you or a loved one suffered from a stroke that was misdiagnosed by your doctor in Denver or anywhere in Colorado or Wyoming please call or email us today to schedule your free initial consultation. We'll review your failure to diagnose stroke malpractice claim and help you determine how to best proceed. We represent medical malpractice victims in Colorado, Wyoming and throughout the Rocky Mountain Region.

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Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh & Jardine, P.C. is a law firm serving the Rocky Mountain Region. The firm has offices in Denver, Colorado, Cody, WY, Cincinnati, Ohio, & Phoenix, AZ. The Firm is responsible for the content on the website,this information is not to be interpreted as providing legal services,
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