Stroke Malpractice Attorneys
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Strokes are the third leading cause of death in the United States. Every year, more than 600,000 Americans suffer from a stroke, with nearly 200,000 dying as a result.
What is a stroke?
There are two different kinds of strokes. The first is called an ischemic stroke. Ischemic strokes occur when there is an interruption to the flow of blood supply to the brain. A blood clot can cause an ischemic stroke. So can the vasospasm of an artery caused by an oozing aneurysm. The second type of stroke is called a hemorrhagic stroke. Hemorrhagic strokes occur when a blood vessel is ruptured, causing blood to flood the brain. A fully ruptured aneurysm can cause a hemorrhagic stroke.
What are the symptoms?
There are many symptoms that are indicative of a stroke. These symptoms can occur suddenly or they may take hours or days to appear. Symptoms of a stroke include:
- Paralysis on one side of the body
- Numbness or weakness on one side of the body
- Tingling in the limbs
- Confusion
- Trouble speaking
- Trouble understanding speech
- Dimmed or blurred vision
- Difficulty walking
- Dizziness
- Loss of balance
- A sudden severe headache
- Loss of consciousness
- And more.
What are the after effects?
People who survive a stroke often continue to suffer because of it. Depression, memory loss, difficulty understanding speech, loss of speech, inability to read or write, and difficulty pronouncing various words are all common after effects.
What causes strokes to occur?
There are many causes of stroke including:
- Aneurysms
- Hypertension
- DVT and other blood clots
- Irregular heart rhythms
- Certain medicines, like Celebrex and Bextra.
Failure to treat properly
Although strokes are one of the leading causes of death in adults, there are ways to treat them. A drug called a tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) can prevent many of the most harmful effects of strokes. TPA must be administered within the first three hours, and only if there is a blood clot in the brain but no bleeding. TPA dissolves the blood clot, opening up the artery for blood to flow again. If TPA is used after the three-hour mark, however, it can actually be more harmful to the patient. If TPA is used with a hemorrhagic stroke (a stroke that occurs with bleeding in the brain), then the drug will actually make the stroke worse by causing even more bleeding. Many times, misuse of TPA results in death or aftereffects that are extremely debilitating.
Malpractice may also have occurred if doctors failed to properly treat an aneurysm. An aneurysm is a blood-filled bulge in a blood vessel that is caused by weakening in the wall of the vessel. Aneurysms are very dangerous, as they are likely to burst at anytime. The larger the aneurysm is, the more likely it is to burst. Aneurysms, though, are treatable. Surgery or coiling can permanently fix an aneurysm. Failure to treat an aneurysm properly may lead to it bursting, resulting in a hemorrhagic stroke, or oozing causing an ischemic stroke.
Contact us
The knowledgeable Ohio stroke misdiagnosis lawyers at Goren, Goren & Harris, P.C. have more than 40 years of experience dealing with medical malpractice issues. We have recovered significant amounts of money for people whose doctors failed to properly and expeditiously diagnose and treat the symptoms of a stroke. Our lawyers are available to discuss your situation with you. We are licensed as Ohio and Michigan lawyers, and have worked throughout the United States, with the use of local counsel. We have been named “Super Lawyers” by Law and Politics magazine. Our cases have repeatedly been in the newspaper. We are listed in Marquis’ Who’s Who in American Law. We want to help you. Call us or fill out the form on the right for your consultation, free of charge.