Stroke Misdiagnosis Lawyers Serving Maine

No delay should exist when diagnosing life-threatening medical conditions like stroke. Symptoms of stroke require fast, decisive action by healthcare providers. The consequences can be catastrophic if a healthcare provider misses or misdiagnoses this condition. If you are a family member of someone who has experienced this, you may be wondering what options you have and how best to approach the matter of a potential medical malpractice claim based on a failure to diagnose stroke. 

At Berman & Simmons, we can provide the answers and support you need at this critical time. We represent individuals and families throughout Maine who have suffered from failures of this magnitude. 

We can determine the validity of a legal claim and, should yours go forward, we can help you pursue justice and the compensation your loved one deserves. Backed by over 100 years in practice and an elite team of proven trial lawyers, we know how to hold negligent parties accountable, even the most well-funded and highly sophisticated defendants. 

Call Berman & Simmons at (207) 417-4199 or contact us online for a free consultation by phone, in-person, or virtually with a Maine stroke misdiagnosis lawyer.

Stroke: A Delayed Diagnosis with Life-Altering Consequences

A stroke is a rare but serious medical emergency with a narrow window for the best possible treatment. When treated promptly, the effects of a stroke may be entirely reversible or minimized. But when doctors ignore or misinterpret the symptoms of stroke, it can be too late for the optimal treatment to be used, causing permanent brain damage, neurological impairment, or death.

Symptoms that are commonly overlooked include:

• Severe headache
• Confusion or altered mental state
• Vision changes
• Facial drooping
• Dizziness or imbalance
• Difficulty walking or altered gait
• Speech difficulties
• Weakness or numbness on one side of the body

These symptoms can mimic less severe conditions, but a medical provider must recognize the warning signs, order the proper tests, and begin urgent treatment. When they fail to do so, and a patient suffers harm that is not just a mistake, it may be medical malpractice.

How Strokes End Up Being Misdiagnosed

There are many different ways in which stroke may be misdiagnosed or not recognized until it’s too late for treatment. 

Sometimes, stroke misdiagnosis happens because healthcare providers do not order the correct imaging, like a CT scan of the head and neck and a CT-angiogram (CTA), that can reveal blood clots in veins or arteries leading to the brain. 

Stroke misdiagnosis may also happen when the correct imaging is ordered but not carried out in time, like when the healthcare provider decides to delay getting imaging until regular business hours. The delay in getting prompt imaging can cost precious time for a diagnosis. 

Stroke diagnosis may be missed or delayed because the radiologists who review the imaging scans don’t do a thorough job and overlook what is there to be seen. This often isn’t revealed until a patient goes to another hospital, where the radiologists compare imaging to earlier scans and realize that the previous doctors failed to make the correct diagnosis. 

Stroke diagnosis may also be delayed when radiologists fail to immediately notify care teams of critical findings from imaging scans. This can mean the emergency department or urgent care center isn’t notified that the patient’s scan shows a stroke.

Potential Compensation for a Failure to Diagnose a Stroke

Compensation can include both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages cover the actual financial losses, such as the following. 

• Medical expenses (past and future), such as: 
  • Hospital stays
  • Surgeries
  • Rehabilitation and therapy
  • Medications
  • Assistive devices and in-home care
• Wages or income lost during recovery
• Loss of earning capacity if the injury limits your ability to work in the future
• Costs of long-term care for those with permanent brain damage or disabilities

Non-economic damages are intended to compensate for non-financial harm, which is often as devastating as the tangible costs: 

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of companionship (in wrongful death or spousal injury cases)

When Medical Professionals Fall Short, We Step In

We know what’s at stake when a loved one suffers a brain injury or worse because of a delay in diagnosing stroke. At Berman & Simmons, we use our skills, experience, and resources to uncover the truth, hold negligent medical providers accountable, and pursue full compensation for our clients.