Medical providers have legal obligations to treat patients in accordance with accepted standards of their profession. That includes recognizing signs and symptoms that may indicate heart disease, ordering appropriate evaluation, and providing appropriate follow-up care. If you or a loved one suffered injury or loss after a medical professional failed to diagnose heart disease, you may be able to pursue a medical malpractice claim.
The Becker Law Firm, one of Cleveland’s most respected civil trial law firms with a record of success in complex medical malpractice cases in Ohio and across the country, has successfully represented families in failure to diagnose claims. Our heart disease misdiagnosis lawyers represent patients and families throughout Ohio who were harmed by delayed diagnoses, missed warning signs, and preventable cardiac injuries.
Why Choose The Becker Law Firm?
Our attorneys secured a $3.75 million settlement for the family of a 56-year-old man who died of a fatal cardiovascular condition several hours after discharge from an Ohio community hospital’s emergency department.
- We’ve recovered over $600 million in compensation for our clients.
- We won the largest personal injury settlement for an individual in Ohio history: $60.7 million.
- We’re led by two NBTA Certified Civil Trial Lawyers, Michael Becker and Romney Cullers.
- Our attorneys have over 100 years of collective legal experience.
- We’ve been voted among the nation’s “Best Law Firms” by U.S. News.
- Our team includes attorneys who are Registered Nurses.
- We are members of the Inner Circle of Advocates.
- Our attorneys have been recognized in Best Lawyers 2026.
- We serve clients from offices across Ohio, including Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Dayton.
Since 1980, The Becker Law Firm has excelled in medical negligence cases involving serious injuries and wrongful death. Our team combines award-winning trial experience with medical knowledge to help injured patients and grieving families pursue accountability.
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Why Heart Disease Requires Prompt and Accurate Diagnosis
Some cardiac conditions can become serious or life-threatening without timely evaluation and treatment. When symptoms or risk factors suggesting heart disease are missed, or when needed testing is delayed, patients may face a greater risk of serious complications.
Symptoms that may warrant further evaluation include chest discomfort, shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, palpitations, swelling, and fainting. These symptoms can be associated with cardiac conditions including:
- Coronary artery disease
- Congestive heart failure
- Arrhythmia
- Heart infections
- Aortic aneurysms
- Valvular heart disease
Instead of being appropriately evaluated for heart-related conditions, providers treating patients who present with these symptoms may fail to take proper steps toward diagnosing the underlying problem or may attribute the symptoms to a non-cardiac condition. Because a heart attack can sometimes be an acute complication of underlying heart disease, patients with cardiac symptoms may require urgent evaluation. For more information, see our heart attack misdiagnosis page.
What Doctors Should Assess When Heart Disease Is Suspected
When a patient’s symptoms could indicate a serious cardiac condition, providers are expected to take appropriate steps to evaluate the possibility of heart disease. A thorough evaluation should account for the patient’s symptoms, medical history, risk factors, and any abnormal findings. If you believe a provider missed signs of heart disease or failed to order needed testing, our heart disease misdiagnosis attorneys can review what happened and help you understand your legal options.
Medical History and Cardiac Risk Factors
Providers should take a detailed history of the patient’s symptoms, including when they began, how often they occur, and what makes them better or worse. They should also review prior medical conditions, family history of heart disease, smoking, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other relevant risk factors. This information helps guide the appropriate next steps in the evaluation.
Diagnostic Testing for Heart Disease
Depending on the patient’s presentation, appropriate testing may include an ECG/EKG, blood tests, chest X-rays, an echocardiogram or ultrasound, cardiac catheterization, or cardiac MRI. The appropriate tests depend on the patient’s symptoms, risk factors, and clinical findings. A delay in evaluating concerning symptoms may contribute to a delayed diagnosis.
Interpreting and Documenting Results
Providers should carefully review all test results and compare them with the patient’s symptoms and medical history. They should also document patient complaints, examination findings, test results, and the reasoning behind their treatment decisions. Abnormal or concerning findings may warrant prompt follow-up.
Missed Warning Signs and Referrals That Should Have Been Ordered
Certain symptoms and findings may signal the need for additional testing, escalation of care, or referral to a specialist. Providers should reassess a patient whose symptoms persist, worsen, or do not have a clear explanation after an initial evaluation. Failure to recognize these warning signs or to order appropriate follow-up care can contribute to a delayed diagnosis.
Atypical Symptoms in Younger Patients and Women
Heart disease does not affect every patient in the same way. Symptoms may be subtle, intermittent, or different from the warning signs people commonly associate with cardiac conditions. Providers should consider a patient’s full clinical picture, including symptoms, risk factors, family history, and prior test results, when determining whether further cardiac evaluation is appropriate.
Heart Symptoms Mistaken for Reflux, Gallstones, or Panic Attacks
Symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, swelling, palpitations, or chest discomfort can have more than one possible cause. When a patient’s symptoms or risk factors warrant cardiac evaluation, a provider should not settle on a non-cardiac explanation without an appropriate assessment. A premature alternative diagnosis may delay the testing and care needed to identify underlying heart disease.
Failure to Refer to a Cardiologist
Some patients may need referral to a cardiologist for further evaluation of ongoing symptoms, abnormal test results, or risk factors that suggest underlying heart disease. When an appropriate referral is delayed or never made, a patient may not receive the specialized assessment and ongoing care needed to identify or manage a cardiac condition.
If you believe a delayed diagnosis or failure to refer contributed to serious harm or the loss of a loved one, contact The Becker Law Firm at 216-480-4620 for a free case review.
When Is a Missed Heart Disease Diagnosis Medical Malpractice in Ohio?
Doctors and other health care providers may be held legally responsible when a failure to diagnose a heart condition falls below the applicable standard of care and causes preventable harm. A claim may involve a failure to diagnose or appropriately monitor coronary artery disease, heart failure, an arrhythmia, valvular heart disease, a heart infection, or another cardiovascular condition.
Though victims have the right to file civil medical malpractice claims over preventable errors and injuries, these are complex cases that require a meticulous review of the unique facts involved. They also require victims to prove medical providers failed to meet their duty of care. Generally, this means:
The medical provider, when evaluating or treating the patient, failed to act in a manner an adequately skilled and trained medical provider would have acted under the same or similar circumstances.
Diagnostic errors are a significant patient-safety concern. Research published by BMJ has found that heart attack is among the most commonly misdiagnosed serious conditions in adults, aside from cancer.
Proving the Standard of Care Was Breached
Whether treatment received by you or your loved one constitutes malpractice depends on the circumstances. In a failure to diagnose case, the claim is generally that a provider failed to meet the applicable standard of care under the circumstances. Depending on the facts, this may involve a provider who:
- Failed to recognize or appreciate warning signs of heart disease or another serious cardiovascular condition, including in patients who do not fit a typical profile or who have known risk factors.
- Failed to perform an adequate medical history, evaluation, or initial screening.
- Failed to order appropriate testing, properly interpret results, or act on abnormal or concerning findings.
- Misdiagnosed heart disease as a less serious condition or failed to adequately consider other possible causes.
- Failed to adequately document relevant information or communicate a patient’s condition, risk factors, or concerns to other providers involved in their care.
These and other avoidable errors can result in patients not receiving the care they need when they need it and lead to otherwise preventable medical events, injuries, or death. If you believe a provider’s conduct failed to meet the standard of care and the outcome would have been different had they met their legal duty, you may have grounds for legal action.
Because these are fact-specific cases, The Becker Law Firm offers free and confidential consultations to help families determine whether medical providers failed to act appropriately when screening or treating a patient who later suffered cardiovascular-related harm.
Who Can Be Held Liable?
The parties who may be named as defendants in a failure to diagnose case will vary. As patients are often treated by a number of providers, there may also be multiple potentially liable parties.
Examples of liable parties in malpractice claims involving heart disease, heart attack, or other cardiovascular conditions include:
- Emergency Departments (ER malpractice) or hospitals;
- Triage nurses, physician assistants, or nurse practitioners;
- Internists or hospitalists;
- Cardiologists, including consulting cardiologists / specialists;
- General practitioners or family doctors; and
- Lab technicians / diagnostic professionals.
Ohio Filing Deadlines and Affidavit of Merit
Ohio law generally requires medical malpractice claims to be filed within one year after the cause of action accrues. The accrual date can depend on facts such as when the alleged negligence occurred, when the injury was discovered or reasonably should have been discovered, and when the provider-patient relationship ended. Ohio law also imposes a four-year statute of repose in most medical malpractice cases.
In addition, Ohio Rule of Civil Procedure 10(D)(2) generally requires an affidavit of merit to accompany a medical malpractice complaint. This sworn statement must come from a qualified medical expert who has reviewed the available records, is familiar with the applicable standard of care, and believes the provider breached that standard and caused injury.
Because deadlines and exceptions can be difficult to apply, it is important to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible. Contact The Becker Law Firm at 216-480-4620 for a free consultation.
Compensation After a Heart Disease Misdiagnosis
Depending on the circumstances, compensation in a medical malpractice claim may include:
- Medical expenses and reasonably expected future medical care
- Lost income and diminished earning capacity
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress and mental anguish
- Losses available to surviving family members in a wrongful death claim
Our attorneys work with qualified experts to evaluate the full impact of a preventable injury or loss, including both economic damages and non-economic damages.
Contact a Cleveland Heart Disease Misdiagnosis Lawyer at The Becker Law Firm
If you or someone you love suffered serious harm because of a failure to diagnose heart disease, The Becker Law Firm is ready to help. Our heart disease misdiagnosis lawyers offer free, confidential consultations to families throughout Ohio.
Contact us online or call 216-480-4620 to request a free case review.
Ohio Heart Disease Misdiagnosis FAQs
What heart conditions are most commonly missed?
Coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, heart infections, aortic aneurysms, and valvular heart disease can all be missed or diagnosed late. The specific circumstances of each case determine whether a provider’s care fell below the applicable standard.
What if my doctor said my symptoms were anxiety or acid reflux?
Symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, palpitations, swelling, or chest discomfort can sometimes be attributed to anxiety, acid reflux, or another condition. However, providers should perform an appropriate evaluation when a patient’s symptoms, risk factors, or clinical presentation warrant consideration of heart disease.
Do I need to have had a heart attack to have a case?
No. A claim may arise from a failure to diagnose heart disease, a delayed diagnosis, failure to order appropriate testing, or failure to refer a patient for necessary cardiac care. These claims do not require a heart attack to have occurred.
