How can stroke misdiagnosis occur?
Medical professionals should be looking for some specific signs that may indicate that the patient has been or is suffering from a stroke. If they fail to spot these symptoms, or fail to act quickly to diagnose and start treatment, it’s likely to have a detrimental impact on the patient’s health which could have been avoided if they had taken reasonable care. If this is the case, you may be able to make a compensation claim for an undiagnosed stroke. The common signs of stroke include:
- Drooping facial features or an inability to smile or speak as is usual for them
- Weakness or numbness in one or both arms
- Slurred or otherwise impaired speech
If one of more of these signs is found then starting stroke treatment as soon as possible is vital to minimise the amount of internal brain damage suffered, compared to if the stroke is allowed to progress untreated.
Incorrectly diagnosing another condition whilst a patient is showing signs of having had a stroke and therefore providing the wrong treatment can also be very detrimental to the patient’s health and can sometimes result in death.
Stroke misdiagnosis claims
If you or a loved one visited a GP, hospital or other medical facility displaying symptoms of a stroke but were diagnosed with another condition and therefore not appropriately treated for the stroke, you may be eligible for stroke misdiagnosis compensation.
It may be that a stroke was diagnosed correctly, but the treatment given was not appropriate for the condition or was delayed. This could also mean that you might be able to make a stroke misdiagnosis claim.
If you’re unsure whether you have a stroke misdiagnosis claim, or you simply want to find out more about this type of clinical negligence, you can contact our expert stroke misdiagnosis solicitors by calling 0161 696 6165. We can offer you specialist advice that is tailored to your specific circumstances and help you to get the justice you deserve for what has happened to you.