New York Stroke Misdiagnosis Attorneys

Put a Powerful Legal Team on Your Side

When blood flow to the brain is interrupted or blocked, the brain is unable to receive vital oxygen. As a result, brain cells begin to die, usually within minutes. This is known as a stroke, and it is a medical emergency. A stroke can be life-threatening and even when the patient survives, he or she is likely to experience serious complications and life-altering effects.

Unfortunately, strokes are commonly misdiagnosed by emergency room doctors and other medical professionals. Without a proper, timely diagnosis, a patient cannot receive critical medical care and may suffer severe injuries or may even die as a result. If the treating physician was negligent in failing to diagnose or treat a stroke, the victim or the victim’s family members (in the event of death) may take legal action.

At Simonson Goodman Platzer PC, our New York stroke misdiagnosis attorneys have more than 100 years of collective experience. Our firm represents victims of medical malpractice and negligence in all types of complex cases, including those involving failure to diagnose or misdiagnosis of strokes. We understand the many nuances involved in proving medical negligence and, throughout our decades in practice, have successfully secured over $200 million, recovering compensation for our clients in 98% of the cases we have handled.

Your first step is reaching out to our team for a free, one-on-one consultation. Give us a call at (800) 817-5029 or contact us online today to get started.

How Common Is Failure to Diagnose Stroke?

Although strokes are a very common medical emergency—with approximately 795,000 people experiencing a stroke in the U.S. every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—they also commonly go undiagnosed. The exact number of strokes that are not diagnosed or misdiagnosed as something else is not known, but a study reported by Neurology Today found that as many as 10% of patients who are having/had strokes who visit U.S. emergency rooms are misdiagnosed. The risk of being misdiagnosed or not receiving a diagnosis for a stroke increased when symptoms were relatively mild.

Additionally, a study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information found that:

• Men were less likely to receive a probable misdiagnosis for stroke than women
• Younger patients were more likely to receive a probable misdiagnosis for stroke than older patients
• People of color were more likely to receive a probable misdiagnosis for stroke than white patients
• Patients in low-volume hospitals were at a higher risk of receiving a probable misdiagnosis for stroke

The study also found that patients who were presenting headaches and dizziness as symptoms were disproportionately more likely to go undiagnosed or be misdiagnosed with a condition other than stroke.

Proving Medical Negligence in Stroke-Related Cases

Because strokes have a high risk of causing serious harm and/or death, it can be difficult to prove that a health care provider’s negligence was the cause of your injuries or your loved one’s death. Remember, a poor outcome does not necessarily mean that medical malpractice has occurred. Rather, you must prove that the health care provider failed to uphold the accepted standard of care. Doing this often requires enlisting the expert testimony of medical professionals and specialists who can attest to the standard of care and make statements on whether this standard was breached.

Factors commonly involved in missed diagnoses of stroke which could be attributed to medical negligence/malpractice include:

• Ignoring a patient’s symptoms
• Ruling out stroke based on the patient’s age or other factors
• Failing to take into account the patient’s medical history
• Failing to order/conduct proper diagnostic tests
• Misreading test results
• Misinterpreting symptoms, including atypical stroke symptoms
• Discharging a patient too early
• Failing to provide proper follow-up care

Failing to diagnose or misdiagnosing stroke can lead to a whole host of problems, including extensive cerebral damage which, in turn, can lead to loss of speech, immobility, facial paralysis, memory loss, pain, behavioral changes, and preventable death.

How Simonson Goodman Platzer PC Can Help

A serious medical emergency is already a traumatic experience for patients and their families. Knowing that a trusted medical professional failed to provide an adequate level of care can be all the more difficult to overcome. You should not—and do not—have to simply suffer the consequences on your own.

Our New York stroke misdiagnosis attorneys can help you take action against the negligent provider and seek the justice you deserve. Our firm can help you build a case to seek compensation for your resulting medical bills, lost income, disability, pain and suffering, and reduced quality of life. We understand how to build a powerful case aimed at maximizing your recovery, and we will leave no stone unturned in our pursuit of the full compensation you are owed.

Contact Us Today for a Free Consultation

At Simonson Goodman Platzer PC, we offer personalized and compassionate legal services tailored to each client’s unique situation, concerns, and goals. When you trust your case to our firm, you can rest assured that one of our highly experienced partners will handle your claim throughout the entire process. We are always available to answer your questions and provide consistent communication regarding the status of your case throughout the legal process.

Contact us today at (800) 817-5029 to learn more. There are no fees for you unless/until we win your case.