STROKE MEDICAL MALPRACTICE
WHAT CAN YOU DO WHEN YOUR LOVED ON SUFFERS FROM STROKE MEDICAL MALPRACTICE?
Stroke medical malpractice can cause death, serious injury, or disability. In fact, stroke is the leading cause of death in the United States according to the National Institute of Health. As a result, care must be taken to notice, and react to symptoms of a stroke before it is too late.
If your loved one has suffered death or serious injury from a stroke that should have been prevented or treated differently they might have a stroke malpractice lawsuit.
Stroke medical malpractice is a serious problem. In a 2013 study, A New, Evidence-Based Estimate of Patient Harms Associated with Hospital Care by John T. James, PhD., premature death associated with preventable harm to patients was over 400,000 per year.
WHAT IS A STROKE?
A stroke occurs when oxygen flow to the brain is blocked. The brain needs oxygen. Brain cells die after a very short time without oxygen. The blood delivers oxygen to the brain. The blood is carrier to the brain through arteries.
A stoke occurs when an artery is blocked, breaks, or leaks. As a result of the blockage, break, or leak the brain does not receive sufficient blood. Without sufficient blood, the brain is starved of oxygen. This causes brain cells to die. Thus, a stroke.
The two mains types of stroke. First, in an ischemic stroke an artery is blocked. Second, in a hemorrhagic stroke the blood vessels break.
A stroke can cause loss of brain function, which in turn can cause loss of muscle control, speech, bodily function, permanent brain damage, and death.
A blood clot is a major cause of a stroke.
HOW CAN STROKE MEDICAL MALPRACTICE BE PREVENTED?
Blood clots are very dangerous because they are a major cause of a stroke. When a person has a blood clot, that blood clot must be medically managed. One way to treat a blood clot is through medication to help prevent the blood from clotting. Other methods include surgery to remove the blood clot, taking steps to allow blood to flow in spite of the blood clot, and other methods. Sometimes, your doctor cannot remove a blood clot. As a result, your doctor must manage the the blood clot by prescribing certain lifestyle changes to minimize the risk of a clot.
When your doctor uses medications to control the clot, those medications carry risks.
When you have a blood clot, you must rely on the advice from your medical professional to avoid a stroke.
WHAT TYPES OF SCENARIOS LEAD TO STROKE MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CASES?
There are several scenarios that can lead to a stroke medical malpractice lawsuit.
First, cases in which you doctor did not provide proper care, which would have averted the stroke.
Second, cases in which the medical negligence itself caused the stroke.
Third, failure to diagnose the possibility of a stroke by failing to run tests to detect blood clots or blockages.
Fourth, misdiagnosis of a stroke for another condition.
Fifth, failure to treat the stroke.
Sixth, failure to provide anticoagulation medication, and treatment to people who are at risk of a stroke.
Seventh, negligence during surgery which can lead to hypotension which leads to a stroke.
Eighty, failure to provide prompt emergency care to a patient suffering a stroke.
FIGHT FOR THE COMPENSATION YOU DESERVE FOR INJURIES YOU HAVE SUSTAINED
WHAT TYPES OF HARMS AND LOSSES CAN I SUE FOR?
In a stroke medical malpractice lawsuit involving a stroke, you can win compensation for all of your harms and losses. These typically include:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages and diminished future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of companionship
- Permanent catastrophic injuries or disabilities,
- Wrongful death
HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE A CASE?
You will thoroughly evaluate the merits of your case by consulting with an expert, the medical records, witnesses, and the facts.
Then if you think the facts warrant it, you will consult with an expert who can tell you whether medical malpractice has occurred.
In the vast majority of cases you must retain the services of an expert to certify that medical malpractice has occurred. Only after you receive this good faith certification that malpractice has occurred, can you bring the case.
In vast majority of cases, the parties reach a settlement before a trial. Otherwise, the parties will have a trial by jury. After the trial, the jury will decide the cases’s outcome. In this sense, you never know the result until the very end.
WHAT ARE THE STEPS TO TAKE TO EVALUATE A CASE?
Do you think that a loved is the victim of a medical malpractice involving a stroke? What steps must be taken to evaluate the case?
The first step is to gather the medical records. For example, if your loved one lived in Groton, Connecticut and suffered an emergency stroke, they likely treated in the Lawrence & Memorial Hospital. You or your lawyer should request all of the records for their care including the hospital records, tests, and the lab work. You will need all of the relevant prior medical records to evaluate the risk of stroke or blood clot.
Next, you will have to find a doctor to review the case. The reviewing doctor must be a similar health provider, or the same type of doctor as the defendant doctor. The reviewing doctor must also have the same qualifications as the defendant doctor. You can proceed only if you received a certification from the reviewing doctor that medical malpractice has occurred by the defendant doctor.
You must prove all of your harms and losses. Next, you must also prove that your harms and losses were caused from the medical malpractice, and not any underlying condition. You will be forced to examine the consequences of the error, and whether the underlying condition contributed to the harm. All of these medical questions require answers by qualified medical experts to determine the harms, and losses suffered by you or your loved one.
STROKE MALPRACTICE CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY AND WRONGFUL DEATH
At The Bartinik Law Firm LLC, we are very selective about the medical malpractice cases we accept. We strive to fight for individuals who have endured very serious injuries, and have the most to gain from winning a Connecticut medical malpractice suit. We also work with families who have lost their loved ones due to the negligence of a medical professional.
You may have a medical malpractice lawsuit if you or a loved one has been faced with one of the following situations:
- Failure to treat symptoms of a stroke,
- Brain injury,
- Wrongful death.
WHERE TO FIND HELP?
We are here to help you evaluate your case. Our medical malpractice lawyers at The Bartinik Law Firm LLC do not accept every case because we take case evaluation very seriously. We will only accept the case if it has merit, and high damages sufficient to justify the case.
When The Bartinik Law Firm LLC represents you in your medical malpractice case, you can expect attention to detail. You can also expect excellent customer service. Just take a look at our former client testimonials on this website. When it comes to case preparation, and trial technique we have trial lawyers who are Board Certified Civil Trial Attorneys by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. We stand ready to take your case to trial if necessary.
If you or a loved one were injured or killed by a stroke due to the negligence of a medical professional contact The Bartinik Law Firm LLC at 860-445-8521 today for a free consultation.