Cleveland Medical Malpractice Lawyers
Misdiagnosing and Failing to Treat a Heart Attack
The prospect of recovery for a patient having a heart attack or stroke is much better if the patient is treated in the earliest stages. Delays in treatment are often the result of the victim waiting too long before going to an emergency room. Sometimes, however, the delay is the fault of the medical professional who talked to the patient — in a hospital emergency room, in an urgent care clinic, or in a doctor's office.
Doctors may misdiagnose a heart attack as an anxiety attack, indigestion or heart burn, a back injury, a headache, or the flu. That is because a heart attack can have different symptoms in different people. Women often have different symptoms than men, experiencing more flu-like symptoms than pain. In about 20 percent of heart attacks, the patient does not feel chest pain.
What occurs in most cases of heart attack misdiagnosis is that the person suffering the heart attack is sent home prematurely and he or she dies.
Is Failure to Diagnose a Form of Malpractice?
Even if the patient did not have the traditional symptoms of a heart attack — chest pain that radiates down the arm — it is the job of the doctor to assess the patient's health history and risk factors and to order appropriate tests. If there are enough symptoms that fall within the list of heart attack symptoms, and the client has enough risk factors (age, weight, health), the doctor should err on the side of more aggressive diagnosis and treatment, not less. Some possible symptoms include:
- Chest discomfort, pressure, tightness, fullness or pain
- Discomfort or pain in other parts of the upper body, such as back pain, neck pain, jaw pain
- Feelings of indigestion or nausea
- Shortness of breath
- Excessive sweating
- Lightheadedness
If your loved one died from a heart attack because they did not receive proper and prompt treatment after going to a medical provider, you deserve answers. At Seaman Garson, we help family members access medical experts who can review their case to determine if medical malpractice occurred.
Legal Help If Your Family Was Harmed Because of a Failure to Diagnose
If we believe your loved one was the victim of medical negligence, we will put the full resources of our firm behind you. We will advance the cost of the investigation and, if we are unable to obtain a recovery for you, you owe us nothing.
Seaman Garson is one of the largest, most established medical malpractice and personal injury law firms in Ohio. With more than a dozen attorneys on staff, we have the experience and resources to take even the most complex case to trial.
Protect Your Rights: Free Attorney Consultation
For help from an experienced attorney, contact our Cleveland law office to arrange a free consultation. Whether or not you ultimately decide to hire our law firm, one of our attorneys will listen to your story and explain your legal options.
