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Stroke

Cleveland Stroke Misdiagnosis Lawyers

Failure to Diagnose Stroke or Delayed Stroke Diagnosis

Stroke – or cerebrovascular accident (CVA) – is the leading cause of disability among U.S. adults, and though it is common, stroke can be effectively prevented and treated. Unfortunately, it often isn’t.

According to the American Heart Association, doctors overlook or discount early signs of potentially devastating stokes in tens of thousands of Americans each year, delaying critical treatment that can improve outcomes and reduce risks of recurrent strokes, permanent disability, and death.

If you or a loved one were harmed by a health care provider’s failure to properly evaluate, diagnose, or timely treat stroke, you may be entitled to compensation. 

The Becker Law Firm has secured millions for medical malpractice victims across Ohio and the U.S., and is available to evaluate your potential case.


Call The Becker Law Firm today at (440) 252-4399 to discuss your case in a free consultation with our failure to diagnose stroke lawyers in Cleveland.


Stroke Misdiagnosis Lawsuits

Providers who see stroke patients or serve as their first point of contact know treatment of acute stroke has inherent risks for malpractice litigation. In fact, statistics show failure to diagnose or delayed diagnosis among the leading causes of all malpractice claims.

That being said, anyone with a potential case must understand medical malpractice lawsuits are extraordinarily complex and fact-specific. Determining if there are grounds to pursue legal action requires a thorough evaluation of the circumstances involved; litigating them successfully demands the attention of skilled and proven trial attorneys.

Although the individual facts of a case matter, most malpractice claims raise allegations that a provider was negligent. Per the legal definition of malpractice, this means a deviation from the accepted minimum “standard of care” (or breaching a “duty of care”) when assessing or treating patients.

For stroke malpractice claims, negligence can take many forms, including:

  • Inadequate evaluations or neurological exam / failure to obtain medical history
  • Failure to timely administer tPA or timely perform thrombectomy
  • Missed warning focal findings, signs, and symptoms / failure to distinguish stroke from other conditions
  • Failure to diagnose heart disease, high blood pressure, atrial-fibrillation, atherosclerosis, and other risk-factor conditions
  • Failures to refer patients to neurologists or consult appropriate specialists
  • Failure to transfer patient to another hospital, stroke center, or provider
  • Delays or failures to order or follow up on appropriate tests, including CT or MRI scans
  • Misreading or misinterpreting test results
  • Hospital negligence / emergency room errors
  • Surgical errors / postoperative care errors

What Stroke Malpractice Claims Look Like

Every medical malpractice case is unique, and those involving stroke can vary – from the claims alleged by plaintiffs to the type of stroke or medical issues involved, defendants named in the suit, and damages suffered.

Ischemic Stroke

The most common type of stroke, ischemic stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is obstructed by a clot. These clots may come from the heart (embolic) or blood vessels in the brain (thrombotic), as well as atherosclerosis and plaque in the arteries. 

Ischemic strokes can affect different areas of the brain (anterior / posterior, brainstem, cerebrum, cerebellum) and present with different symptoms, but they all deprive the brain of oxygen and result in permanent cell death / brain damage (cerebral infarction).

Deficits caused by ischemic stroke can vary depending on which part of the brain was affected. Early diagnosis, intervention, and treatment is important in minimizing onset-to-treatment gaps, and avoiding or reducing the severity of a stroke’s effects, particularly for posterior circulation and brainstem strokes, and younger patients. 

Administration of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), a clot-busting drug, or a thrombectomy can be effective in treating ischemic stroke, but they must be performed within a short time frame after onset.

Hemorrhagic Stroke

Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures and prevents blood flow to brain cells. Hemorrhagic strokes include both intracerebral hemorrhage (bleeding from vessels within the brain) and subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding between the brain and its membrane), and are more likely to result in death than ischemic strokes, making timely diagnosis critical.

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)

Known as a transient ischemic attack, a TIA is a “mini stroke” caused by a temporary clot. Failures to diagnose a TIA and appropriately treat patients can substantially increase risks of a more severe stroke.

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The Becker Law Firm: Nationally Recognized Malpractice Attorneys

Patients who believe they have been harmed by negligence have the right to file medical malpractice claims. However, because they must prove a deviation from the standard of care, and take on large health systems and insurance corporations that want to pay as little as possible, prevailing is no easy task.

At The Becker Law Firm, our Cleveland-based attorneys have helped victims across Ohio and the U.S. secure hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation after suffering harm at the hands of negligent health care providers. We have the experience and resources to help.

To request a free and confidential consultation, call our Cleveland stroke misdiagnosis attorneys at The Becker Law Firm: (440) 252-4399.

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