Diagnosis errors often result in more injuries and sometimes death. Illinois patients and families who were affected by these types of mistakes often seek legal recourse for their damages. A doctor’s office was ordered to pay a stroke victim over $7 million for failure to diagnose.
The man had high blood pressure, which resulted in a stroke back in 2010. He visited the doctor’s office in April and was informed to return in a month. However, he became concerned when he started to experience symptoms of numbness, confusion and dizziness two days before his return visit. He returned to the doctors as instructed and informed the staff of his symptoms, but he was again told to return in four weeks and was prescribed a combination of medication.
Just days later, his blood pressure went as high as 280/150 and he was taken to the hospital with blocked cerebral arteries. According to the lawsuit, the doctor did not administer proper standards of care when the patient was allowed to leave the office without further testing. It was also stated that the doctor should have realized that the man was at risk for stroke since there were other risk factors. After about five hours of deliberation, the jury determined that the doctors were negligent.
Failure to diagnose can cause an alarming amount of patient injuries. In this case, the man is confined to a wheelchair for the remainder of his life. Illinois residents who experience diagnosis mistakes that cause serious injuries retain the right to file medical malpractice claims against the doctor or facility. Those who wish to pursue these cases may want to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney who can answer any questions they have.
Source: delcotimes.com, “Stroke victim wins $7.4 million medical malpractice award”, Alex Rose, April. 17, 2015