Medical Malpractice Claims Involving Strokes

Strokes are among the most commonly misdiagnosed medical conditions in the United States. Even when properly diagnosed, stroke patients face a variety of other risks related to medical oversights and other mistakes as well. Unfortunately, these mistakes are far more common than they should be, and many patients and families find themselves in need of an experienced Florida medical malpractice attorney.

This article provides an overview of 10 potential grounds to file a medical malpractice claim after a stroke. It also provides a brief overview of the first steps you should take when you have concerns about medical malpractice. If you need to know more, we strongly encourage you to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced attorneys.

10 Potential Grounds to File a Medical Malpractice Claim After a Stroke

Medical mistakes before, during and after strokes can take many different forms. With this in mind, the following is a non-exclusive list of potential grounds to file a medical malpractice claim after a stroke in Florida:

1. Failure to Order Necessary Tests

While various tests can be used to diagnose a stroke, doctors need to order these tests in order to provide a timely and accurate diagnosis. If your doctor (or if a loved one’s doctor) failed to order the necessary tests to determine whether you (or your loved one) suffered a stroke, you could have a medical malpractice claim under Florida law.

2. Failure to Provide Treatment for Stroke Risk Factors

There are several well-known risk factors for strokes. There are several not-so-well-known risk factors for strokes as well. If a patient is at increased risk of suffering a stroke, providing appropriate treatment is an essential component of quality care. Conversely, overlooking stroke risk factors—including high blood pressure and diabetes, among others—is a common form of medical malpractice.

3. Failure to Diagnose a Stroke

When a patient suffers a stroke, a timely diagnosis can be essential for providing necessary care. As a result, failure to diagnose a stroke is a dangerous mistake that is often indicative of medical malpractice.

4. Stroke Misdiagnosis

Misdiagnosing a stroke can be equally dangerous, and it can be even more dangerous if it means that a patient undergoes treatment for a condition he or she does not have. Stroke misdiagnoses are common, with patients frequently receiving incorrect diagnoses for conditions such as:

• Brain tumors
• High or low blood pressure
• Migraines
• Multiple sclerosis
• Seizures
• Sepsis
• Syncope

These are just examples. If you or a loved one received any incorrect diagnosis after suffering a stroke, it will be well worth talking to a Florida medical malpractice attorney about your legal rights.

5. Delayed Treatment (or Failure to Treat)

Providing a timely and accurate diagnosis is just the first step toward protecting stroke patients from unnecessary consequences. Once a healthcare provider has diagnosed a stroke, it must promptly provide appropriate treatment as well. Delays in treatment (and failures to treat) are also common forms of medical malpractice for which patients and their families can—and should—seek just compensation.

6. Stroke Mismanagement

Along with initial treatment, proper management of stroke patients’ conditions is critical as well. Just like initial treatment errors and delays, stroke mismanagement can also lead to consequences that could—and should—have been avoided. In many cases, healthcare providers will need to wait and see whether additional treatment is necessary. If a healthcare provider mismanages a stroke patient’s care, this can also provide clear grounds to file a medical malpractice claim in Florida.

7. Failure to Monitor

Failure to monitor is a specific—and common—form of stroke mismanagement. If a healthcare provider fails to adequately monitor a stroke patient and this failure leads to additional failures in care, this can provide clear grounds to pursue a medical malpractice claim as well.

8. Medication Errors

Blood thinners, antiplatelet drugs, anticoagulants and various other types of medications can be essential for mitigating stroke patients’ health risks. Failure to provide necessary medications, providing the wrong medications, overdosing, underdosing and other medication errors are all common forms of medical malpractice in hospitals and other healthcare settings.

9. Errors During Emergency Response

If a stroke patient (or a stroke patient’s family member) calls 911, it is imperative that emergency responders provide appropriate care to stabilize the patient, if possible, until the patient can receive appropriate treatment at the hospital. Errors during emergency response can lead to delays and other issues that can ultimately lead to irreversible consequences.

10. Emergency Room Triage and Treatment Errors

Triage errors, surgical errors and other errors in the emergency room (ER) can provide clear grounds for stroke patients and their families to pursue medical malpractice claims as well. While emergency rooms are held to different standards than other healthcare providers in some cases, there are still many circumstances in which mistakes in the ER can clearly warrant claims for liability.

Filing a Medical Malpractice Claim After a Stroke in Florida

If you have concerns about medical malpractice after a stroke, what should you do? Whether you suffered a stroke or you have concerns about the quality of care your spouse, parent or another family member received in a Florida healthcare facility, you should:

• Gather all relevant medical records you have in your possession;
• Take detailed notes about why you suspect medical malpractice; and,
• Schedule a free consultation with an experienced Florida medical malpractice attorney.

Strict timing and other requirements apply to medical malpractice claims in Florida. So, if you have a claim, it will be critical to have an experienced attorney on your side. An experienced attorney will be able to provide a straightforward assessment of your legal rights, and then you can use this information to decide what you want to do next.

Do You Have a Claim? Find Out from an Experienced Florida Medical Malpractice Attorney for Free

Do you have a medical malpractice claim related to a stroke? To find out, schedule a free consultation today. Call 800-780-8607 or tell us how we can reach you online to speak with an experienced Florida medical malpractice attorney at Searcy Denney in confidence as soon as possible.