An Oregon hospital is being sued after a doctor or doctors failed to timely diagnose a patient with a stroke. The woman collapsed at her home and was taken to the hospital in an unconscious state. Medical professionals conducted a CT scan, but misread the results, claiming there was nothing wrong with the woman. Doctors claimed the woman’s condition was an “emotional” issue, and they failed to give her medication that would have broken up the blood clot in her brain.
Finally, later in the day, the woman was diagnosed by a neurologist as having had a stroke. That doctor was surprised that her condition was missed when her CT scan results were initially read. The delayed treatment, however, has left the woman with damage to her brain and nervous system. She is now seeking $3.1 million in damages.
A doctor’s failure to diagnose a medical condition can be tragic for a patient. Not only can it result in a worsened condition, but it can also lead to death. Perhaps the scariest part of missed, wrong and delayed diagnoses as it can affect any patient. Those who are diagnosed with mere back pain may actually have cancer, and the delay in diagnosing it may significantly reduce the patient’s chances of survival.
In addition to the emotional punch these instances can serve, victims also often face financial losses. Medical costs can pile up, wages may be lost, and, in the event of death, a surviving family may be left with funeral expenses. This all can be difficult to handle at a time when pain and suffering is unbearable.
By filing a medical malpractice lawsuit, like the one discussed above, harmed patients may be able to find some relief. A winning case may help bring the victim a sense of justice while also compensating him or her for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages. An Oregon attorney may be able to help with this process, ensuring a victim has a chance to recover as much compensation as possible.
Source: The Oregonian, “St. Vincent Medical Center sued for $3.1 million by woman who had stroke, not ’emotional’ problem,” Aimee Green, April 14, 2014