Ministroke (TIA) Misdiagnosis Lawsuits: Proving Medical Negligence
A ministroke, or transient ischemic attack, is a serious medical condition that often gets ignored or misdiagnosed. When a doctor’s negligence causes harm to the patient, a misdiagnosis lawyer can help.
At Younker Hyde Macfarlane, PLLC, our team of medical malpractice attorneys help recover the maximum settlement in ministroke misdiagnosis lawsuits throughout Salt Lake City, Utah, and can help you if you believe you were harmed by a doctor or medical professional’s negligence.
What Is a Ministroke?
A ministroke, also called a transient ischemic attack (TIA), is a temporary blockage of blood flow to part of the brain or sometimes the retina or the spinal cord. This blockage can briefly affect speech, movement, vision, and cognition.
A ministroke is different from a regular stroke in that it doesn’t cause damage to the brain or permanent disability. However, it’s important to understand that a TIA is often a warning sign that a regular stroke might happen and should not be ignored even after symptoms resolve.
Common Signs and Symptoms of a Ministroke
There are many signs and symptoms of TIAs. Sometimes symptoms are ignored because they are temporary and mimic other conditions. This can cause the person experiencing the TIA not to seek medical attention or to seek medical attention but to be dismissed or misdiagnosed by a doctor. With this in mind, it’s important to know the signs and symptoms of a ministroke. People experiencing a TIA may show the following symptoms:
- Numbness, weakness, or tingling sensation on one side of the body, e.g., a numb hand
- Dizziness or loss of balance
- Slurred speech or difficulty speaking
- Confusion
- Blurred vision or loss of vision
- Facial numbness or weakness
What Are TIAs Mistaken For?
TIAs have a wide range of possible symptoms, all of which resolve within a few hours or days after the ministroke occurred. This can lead to doctors mistaking symptoms for other conditions, and sometimes providing the wrong treatment or no treatment at all.
Some conditions that a TIA may be mistaken for include:
- Migraine
- Low blood sugar or high blood sugar
- Bell’s palsy, which causes a sudden weakness and drooping in the facial muscles
- Brain tumors
- Multiple sclerosis
Proving Negligence in Ministroke Misdiagnosis
TIAs are often a warning sign that another stroke may happen. Misdiagnosis can prevent the patient from getting the necessary care to prevent another stroke, resulting in harm or even death to the patient. When misdiagnosis occurs, there may be grounds for recovering compensation for damages through a medical malpractice lawsuit.
Proving negligence is essential to recovering the maximum settlement in a ministroke misdiagnosis case. Some possible examples of negligence include:
- Ignoring stroke symptoms
- Failing to order tests or delaying testing
- Errors in reading test results
- Missing symptoms
In addition to demonstrating a negligent error occurred, it must also be shown that the patient and doctor had a professional duty owed to the patient (through an established patient/doctor relationship), the doctor breached their duty in upholding a standard of care, and the patient suffered an injury as a result.
Our Salt Lake City attorneys work tirelessly to gather evidence, like medical records and expert testimony, to support medical malpractice claims.
Contact Younker Hyde Macfarlane, PLLC
If you or a loved one has suffered harm due to a ministroke misdiagnosis, it’s important to speak with an attorney. We encourage you to schedule a consultation with one of our Salt Lake City medical malpractice attorneys.