Attorney Referrals

Misdiagnosis of Stroke Lawyer in Michigan

Medical Malpractice and Stroke Injury Lawyers in Michigan

The advancement in technology in the medical field has taken huge strides over the past decade. Medical professionals are equipped with a wide range of tools to recognize and prevent strokes, on top of years of extensive training and education. At Lipton Law, we’ve seen that while doctors have training and advancements in technology available at their disposal, they don’t always use them. A Michigan stroke lawyer can help you determine if your stroke was due to medical negligence and help you receive the compensation you deserve.

When a patient arrives at an emergency room with possible signs of a stroke, the emergency room physician should never rule out a stroke diagnosis, even when those symptoms could point to another cause, because time is critical for treating strokes.

Every healthcare provider in America knows this. Most of the general public knows this. However, time and time again, our law firm fights for those who have suffered from a stroke that is a direct result of medical malpractice in Michigan.

We will hold Michigan doctors accountable until they stop making reckless decisions about patients’ health.

detroit stroke lawyers

What Is a Stroke?

In the most simple terms, a stroke occurs when the blood supply is cut off from an area of the brain. Because brain cells need a constant supply of oxygen from blood in order to survive, when that oxygen supply is cut off or diminished, the brain cells start dying.

What Causes a Stroke?

A host of risk factors that can cause a stroke exist.

These typically include:

  • smoking,
  • diabetes,
  • high blood pressure,
  • obstructive sleep apnea,
  • cardiovascular disease or heart disease.

If a patient’s family has a history of strokes, the patient may have a higher chance of becoming a stroke injury victim.

Also, some medications may also put a person at an increased risk for stroke. These types of drugs can cause serious injury if a physician prescribes these in conjunction with certain other medications or avoids conducting proper tests to ensure the patient’s safety.

When this happens, medical malpractice occurs, and stroke injury victims may be able to receive financial compensation for their losses.

Types of Strokes

Three main types of stroke exist: hemorrhagic, ischemic, and transient ischemic attack, commonly known as TIA. These different types of strokes are often categorized by the stroke victim’s symptoms, as well as how the stroke occurred.

Hemorrhagic Stroke

A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when one weakened blood vessel in a patient’s brain bursts and spills blood onto the surrounding tissue. This deprives parts of the brain of the essential blood and oxygen needed for the cells to survive.

While these types of strokes occur less often, these most commonly lead to death. If someone you know died from a stroke that could have been avoided with the proper diagnosis and treatment, contact our Michigan wrongful death attorneys. We will go over the medical records with you during the initial free consultation.

Ischemic Stroke

Ischemic strokes account for around 80% of strokes occurring in the United States. This type of stroke occurs when the brain’s arteries become blocked or partially blocked, thus reducing the blood flow to the brain. A blockage of an artery in the brain is called a blood clot.

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA Stroke)

A TIA injury is similar to an ischemic stroke in that debris in the bloodstream blocks an artery in the brain. However, with transient ischemic attacks, the attacks are temporary and leave little to no lasting effects on the brain or the rest of the body.

stroke lawyer detroit michigan

Strokes Due to Medical Negligence

Strokes occur when an artery ruptures or a blockage develops in the bloodstream, interrupting the flow of oxygen to the brain and damaging brain tissue. Restoring oxygen at this time is critical. If doctors fail to diagnose stroke symptoms, however, they may not take the necessary steps to prevent severe or traumatic brain injury.

At Lipton Law, our attorneys are committed to providing compassionate and caring representation for stroke injury victims and their families — and we’ve done so since 1964. Our experience with medical malpractice cases in Michigan gives you an advantage when you are fighting to recover compensation for your injuries and losses.

Stroke Diagnosis Mistakes

Essentially, an experienced Michigan stroke attorney can divide stroke injuries into two categories: those that should’ve been prevented by a medical professional and those that are the direct result of medical negligence. In both cases, the victim of this catastrophic injury will have a medical malpractice lawsuit under Michigan law.

The sooner a physician is able to diagnose a stroke, the more effectively it can be treated, and the chances of sustaining a traumatic brain injury are lessened. For many medical malpractice claims surrounding stroke injuries, failure to diagnose is the culprit. Specifically, an ER physician failed to recognize blockage or the other classic symptoms of a stroke.

Common Stroke Medical Malpractice Examples

Common stroke diagnosis and treatment errors that can rise to the level of a medical malpractice lawsuit in Michigan include:

  • Failure to consider stroke in younger patients
  • Failure to provide a complete medical examination and, thus, a failure to diagnose the possibility of a stroke
  • Misdiagnosis of the stroke as another condition
  • Delays or mistakes in diagnostic testing
  • Inadequate medical care
  • Disregard of classic stroke signs
  • Failure to provide anticoagulation treatments to those with atrial fibrillation or other stroke indicators
  • Medical malpractice during surgery that leads to hypotension, thus leading to a stroke

These types of mistakes and others cause brain damage to become more severe with each passing minute. Delays in treatment can have expensive and life-changing repercussions. The most tragic thing about misdiagnosing a stroke is that if a stroke is caught early enough, amazing recoveries are possible.

What Should You Do if Your Stroke Was Caused by Negligence?

michigan stroke injury lawyer

When a stroke victim suffers harm because of a doctor’s choice of medical treatment, failure to run diagnostic tests, or failure to properly treat someone presenting the classic signs of a stroke, that person’s life is changed. Even if they are quick to contact emergency medical services for their stroke symptoms, a doctor’s misdiagnosis of stroke could result in serious injuries.

Many are left with permanent brain damage, developmental delays (in children), and a host of other medical hurdles, not to mention the financial stress of medical expenses that are sure to pile up.

The standard of care that medical professionals owe the patient is violated if the treating physician, ER doctor, or neurologist doesn’t diagnose stroke as the cause of the symptoms. This failure to diagnose or failure to treat, if accurately diagnosed, is enough cause for a medical malpractice case in Michigan.

Our team of attorneys has extensive experience in medical malpractice litigation throughout the state of Michigan.

If a doctor’s negligence leads to the death of a family member, either directly or due to surgery leading to a stroke, which resulted in death, our attorneys are well-versed in wrongful death litigation in Michigan, as well.

Can Damage from a Stroke Be Prevented?

A stroke is considered a medical emergency that, without a prompt diagnosis, could cause serious, permanent damage to a patient. The best way to prevent as much damage to a stroke patient as possible is to achieve a prompt diagnosis of the condition. The longer a medical professional takes to give the right diagnosis, the more damage a patient could potentially suffer.

What Should I Do if I Believe My Medical Records Have Been Altered After a Stroke?

As a medical malpractice law firm, we’re commonly asked, “Will my doctor alter my medical record to hide evidence?” Your medical records are a compilation of health data routinely reported by your doctors when anything changes regarding your health.

While it seems as if doctors or nurses who are accused of medical malpractice or nursing malpractice may simply change a patient’s medical record to protect themselves, there are several reasons why doing this is a terrible idea for them.

Falsifying a medical record is a crime, first of all. Additionally, a physician who alters a medical record will make it harder for them to win a medical malpractice case.

Falsifying a medical record is hard to get away with. In a typical medical setting, documents are shared amongst physicians and nurses, as well as the patient’s health insurance provider.

However, despite these risks, Michigan lawyers will still see an altered medical record from time to time. This doesn’t happen often, but when it does, even the most difficult of medical malpractice cases become much easier to win. Physicians and healthcare facilities alike are much more willing to provide financial compensation when a physician has intentionally obscured information.

If you see a change on your medical record, the doctor should have added a note that says, “late entry”, “correction”, or “addendum.” If he or she fails to do so, this will help your medical malpractice case. Speak with a Michigan stroke injury lawyer at Lipton Law. We maintain an attorney-client relationship, and everything you say is privileged information.

What is the Statute of Limitations for Stroke Lawsuits in Michigan?

The statute of limitations for medical malpractice claims in Michigan is 2 years from the date of the accident or 6 months from the time the stroke victim discovers or should have discovered the negligence or medical malpractice, whichever is later.

Medical Malpractice Lawsuit for Stroke Injuries in Southfield, Michigan

If you or a loved one has suffered a stroke that you believe could have been prevented or treated more quickly and proficiently, you have the right to pursue compensation for injuries, ongoing care, and long-term financial maintenance due to the medical condition.

Our lawyers will educate you on your legal options so that you can make sound decisions about your claim. Connect with us at 248-629-2747 or contact us online to schedule an initial free consultation at our law firm office in Southfield.