Pennsylvania Heart Condition Misdiagnosis Lawyers
Early detection of a heart attack or heart disease could very well save a person’s life. But very often, there is a negligent delay in diagnosis or treatment of a heart condition that has an adverse impact on a patient’s health and well-being. Often, an undiagnosed heart attack or heart condition causes significant heart damage leading to death.
One in 50 heart attack victims are mistakenly sent home by emergency room doctors, according to a 2000 study conducted by the New England Medical Center in Boston. Other studies show a higher incidence of missed heart attack diagnosis. Doctors say the number of misdiagnosed heart attacks is higher in spite of significant advances in diagnostics and refinement of medical protocols.
In fact, experts estimate that tens of thousands of heart damage cases are completely misdiagnosed in the United States each year. Many doctors do not recognize even the most common symptoms of heart conditions such as a heart attack or coronary artery disease. A failure to diagnose such heart conditions can lead to heart damage. If your doctor had failed to diagnose your heart condition, which led to heart damage, then you have been a victim of medical malpractice.
Here are some of the most common symptoms of heart diseases that could lead to heart damage or heart failure:
- Angina (discomfort, heaviness or pain in your chest)
- Shortness of breath
- Fast or irregular heartbeat
- Weakness or dizziness
- Nausea
- Profuse sweating
Some tests that doctors normally use to diagnose a heart condition include:
- Electrocardiogram or EKG>
- Chest X-Ray
- Stress test
- Tilt table test
- Echocardiogram
- Cardiac Catheterization (running a catheter into your heart)
- Electrophysiology test (measures your heart rhythm)
- CT Heart Scan
- Myocardial Biopsy (heart tissue exam)
- Heart Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
There has been incredible advancement in diagnostic technology over the last decade or so. Time, money or bureaucracy is no excuse for your doctor or your health care provider to shortchange you on your diagnosis or treatment. This is a matter of life and death and they are required to treat it as such. If they are negligent either in diagnosing your heart condition or treating it, you may be entitled to file a medical malpractice claim against your doctor.
According to recent research, a missed heart attack diagnosis brings the highest malpractice payout of all conditions. According to data from Jury Verdict Research, an overwhelming majority of malpractice settlements for heart attacks and heart damage come from errors in diagnosis. Over the last 10 years, the median jury verdict for heart damage malpractice lawsuits has been close to $1 million.
If you or a loved one has suffered heart damage as a result of medical malpractice,
We will protect and uphold your legal rights and hold wrongdoers and negligent doctors accountable for their actions.