Strokes can be incredibly debilitating, forever altering a person’s quality of life. Unfortunately, Maryland doctors may misdiagnose patients, especially individuals of a specific gender, ethnicity, or age, failing to catch a stroke before it occurs.
In Maryland and across the country, early signs of strokes are often misdiagnosed most in women, minorities, and those under 45. Doctors may misdiagnose strokes in patients in these groups because of their preconceptions and biases, or their failure to run the proper tests.
When a misdiagnosis happens, patients can suffer catastrophic strokes that can permanently damage their lives and health. If your Maryland doctor misdiagnoses you after showings signs of a stroke, you can file a lawsuit for compensatory damages to hold them accountable for their negligence.
Our attorneys are dedicated to helping misdiagnosis injury victims get the compensation they deserve from negligent Maryland doctors. For a free case evaluation with the Maryland misdiagnosis injury lawyers at Rice, Murtha & Psoras, call us today at (410) 694-7291.
Which Stroke Victims Are Most Often Misdiagnosed in Maryland?
While patients expect their doctors to know the signs of a stroke and apply the proper diagnosis, an improper assessment can lead to a misdiagnosis. This tends to happen in some patients more than others in Maryland. If you believe you suffered a stroke and were misdiagnosed, it can help to learn the types of patients to whom this often happens.
According to a study from Johns Hopkins Medicine, women are 33% more likely to be misdiagnosed than men after showing signs of an impending stroke. Similarly, minorities are 20% to 30% more likely to be misdiagnosed after experiencing symptoms of an impending stroke. The same can be said for people under 45, whose doctors were about seven times more likely to give a wrong diagnosis.
Additionally, about 9% of emergency room patients’ strokes are initially misdiagnosed. All of this adds up to tens of thousands of patients receiving the wrong diagnosis and suffering a debilitating stroke across the country each year.
How Do Maryland Doctors Misdiagnose Strokes in Certain Patients?
Because strokes most often present in specific types of people, Maryland doctors’ biases may play a part in misdiagnosing a stroke. Unfortunately, this negligence can prevent patients from getting the medical care they need and lead to a worsening condition.
Strokes often present in men and individuals over 55. Because of this, doctors’ own biases and preconceptions may lead to misdiagnosing women and patients under 45. Additionally, signs can present differently in patients, depending on their age. If Maryland doctors don’t consider a possible stroke, they may apply an incorrect diagnosis.
There are clear warning signs of a stroke that doctors may miss or ignore in these cases. The following are indicators of an impending stroke:
- Difficulty speaking
- Dizziness
- Fainting
- Headaches
- Numbness on one side of the body
- Seizure
When a Maryland doctor ignores these signs, either before or after you have suffered a stroke, it could be because they were acting negligently and breaching their duty of care. If that’s the case, victims should immediately hire a Maryland medical mistakes lawyer.
Generally, severe headaches are an initial warning sign of a stroke in young people. If a Maryland doctor doesn’t abide by their duty of care and run the proper tests, they may send you home with painkillers to lessen your headache, missing the fact that a stroke is impending.
Unfortunately, racial biases can play in any doctor’s practice as well, causing them to misdiagnose minority patients who have either suffered a stroke or are about to.
What Can Happen if Your Maryland Doctor Misdiagnoses a Stroke?
When a negligent doctor breaches their duty of care and fails to properly diagnose you with a stroke, it can severely impact your health. In a matter of hours, your life can change forever if you sustain a debilitating stroke after a misdiagnosis from a negligent Maryland doctor.
When you visit the hospital because you’re experiencing health issues, you trust that a doctor will do whatever they can to apply the proper diagnosis. If you receive a misdiagnosis and sustain a severe stroke, you can experience significant difficulties.
If you or a loved one has had a stroke and previously visited a doctor who misdiagnosed you, reach out to our Harford County medical malpractice lawyers. No family should suffer the consequences of a negligent doctor’s misdiagnosis.
Each stroke develops at its own speed. In some cases, patients can experience lengthy symptoms over a long period. Other times, strokes can develop in a matter of hours. If a doctor properly catches a stroke before it happens, you can get the necessary medical treatment. If a Maryland doctor doesn’t recognize the warning signs, the result can be catastrophic.
Some strokes can lead to brain damage and immobility on one side of the body. Strokes can cause difficulty speaking and cognitive issues. Massive strokes can even result in death when Maryland patients don’t receive the proper diagnosis.
Can You File a Lawsuit Against a Maryland Doctor for a Misdiagnosed Stroke?
If you were misdiagnosed and then suffered a stroke, you could file a lawsuit against a negligent doctor. Victims should hire a Maryland misdiagnosis injury lawyer to represent their interests to file a successful lawsuit for compensatory damages.
Filing a medical malpractice suit against a Maryland doctor can be difficult. First, your attorney must prove that your doctor breached the owed duty of care and that that breach caused you damages.
Our attorneys can do so by looking at your medical records to see which tests your doctor ran during a recent visit and by evaluating their incorrect assessment.
If you plan to file a lawsuit after a Baltimore medical malpractice lawyer your stroke, it’s important to do so within three years. If you don’t, you can lose your right to compensatory damages in Maryland.
Call Our Lawyers if a Maryland Doctor Misdiagnoses Your Stroke
When a negligent doctor misdiagnoses a stroke, patients can experience dire consequences. For a free case evaluation with the Baltimore personal injury lawyers at Rice, Murtha & Psoras, call us today at (410) 694-7291.