Recovery from a stroke depends on how quickly and accurately medical professionals diagnosed it. Imaging tests like CT scans and MRIs can quickly identify a stroke, its type, seriousness, and the part of the brain affected so doctors can begin treatment. If you or a loved one experienced stroke-like symptoms and the treating doctor did not order the proper tests, misdiagnosed the stroke as another illness, or allowed a significant amount of time to pass before properly diagnosing and treating the stroke, negligence may have taken place. Because strokes are most common in people over age 55 and happen more frequently to men than women, stroke misdiagnosis occurs more frequently in younger individuals and women.
Doctors and other medical professionals are supposed to follow strict protocols that include ruling out a stroke before testing for other illnesses. When a doctor breaches the duty of care we rightly expect from our medical providers and misses a stroke diagnosis, it constitutes medical malpractice.
If you or a loved one had a stroke and experienced a significant delay in diagnosis and treatment by a medical professional or care team in Massachusetts, a Boston medical malpractice attorney may be able to help you gain the compensation you need in order to maximize recovery both physically and financially. Contact a Boston medical misdiagnosis lawyer at Barry D. Lang, M.D. & Associates to get started filing a claim to seek the compensation you deserve.