Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
In Washington & Oregon
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What is a Heart Attack?
A sudden decrease in the flow of blood to the heart muscle, causing permanent damage to the heart muscle. The damaged area may be very small or very extensive. If the portion is large enough, the heart attack may be fatal. The decrease in blood flow is usually caused by the total or near-total blockage of a coronary artery by a blood clot formed in an area already narrowed by plaque (atherosclerosis.) Heart attacks are also called myocardial infarction. Over 1 million heart attacks occur every year in the United States; it is the leading cause of death from heart disease. Swift emergency room care can save lives.
DID YOUR DOCTOR MISDIAGNOSE OR TAKE TOO LONG TO DIAGNOSE YOUR HEART ATTACK? SHOULD YOUR HEART ATTACK HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY PROPER MEDICAL TREATMENT?
Many heart attacks go undiagnosed, even in the emergency department! Because some doctors consider an older male to be a typical heart attack victim, they fail to discover heart attacks in women or younger adults. However, even older males who fit the profile are often misdiagnosed.
Prompt emergency room care for a heart attack can mean the difference between life and death or long-term disability. It is a condition for which speedy care is absolutely crucial. Tragically, however, heart attacks are often misdiagnosed. Many medical malpractice claims have been brought about heart attacks that were misdiagnosed as panic attacks, heartburn or a gastrointestinal disorder, muscle strain, or pneumonia or bronchitis, among other conditions.
Some heart attacks would not have occurred at all if the patient had received proper medical treatment for the conditions that caused him to be at high risk for a heart attack.
If you have concerns or doubts about whether a doctor did not properly prevent or diagnose your heart attack - or that of a loved one - you owe it to yourself and your family to find out for sure. Contact an attorney at Fuller & Fuller for a FREE consultation . Our firm has been associated with many failure to diagnose heart attack cases. To determine whether you have a strong claim, these are among the factors that are analyzed:
- Whether the malpractice took place within the time allowed to bring a claim, or whether it is barred by the statute of limitations;
- Whether the delay in diagnosis was longer than is reasonable by the standards of the medical community in which the doctor practices. Did the doctor keep the patient waiting too long in the hospital or, even worse, just send the patient home?
- Whether the doctor failed to get a complete patient history. There are many risk factors for heart attacks and obtaining a thorough patient history assists a doctor in arriving at a diagnosis of heart attack;
- Whether the doctor failed to order the necessary tests, or failed to interpret them correctly when he got the results. A normal EKG, for example, does not rule out a heart attack;
- Whether the doctor failed to administer the necessary medication. Clot busters, in particular, are most effective when administered within a short time of the heart attack;
- Whether the doctor failed to perform any necessary medical procedures or surgical procedures. Defibrillation, artery opening treatments, coronary angioplasty, and coronary artery bypass are examples of procedures which may save the lives of heart attack patients;
- Whether the delay caused the patient serious harm, death or permanent disability;
- How much money in damages would be appropriate to compensate the patient, or the patient's spouse or family members.
You have nothing to lose by consulting with an attorney. It is always in your best interest to learn about your legal options and make sure that your legal rights are preserved. A medical malpractice case is also about righting a wrong, holding the medical community responsible, and raising the level of care so that the same thing does not happen to another patient.
Remember that you are always entitled to proper care in the emergency room even if you have no medical insurance.
Early detection and treatment of heart attacks can prevent serious heart damage. If you are concerned that your doctor did not prevent, detect or treat your heart attack soon enough, please contact Fuller & Fuller, Attorneys, for a free evaluation of your claim . Fuller & Fuller is a family of medical malpractice lawyers serving residents of Washington and Oregon.
Fuller & Fuller is a family of medical malpractice and serious injury lawyers serving residents of Washington and Oregon.
