Military Heart Attack Misdiagnosis Attorneys

Free Consultation for Service Members & Vets

When a heart attack is misdiagnosed, the consequences can be severe and sometimes fatal. If you were hurt due to a heart attack misdiagnosis at a military hospital or you lost a loved one due to a heart attack misdiagnosis, start exploring your legal options with the help of National Trial Law now. Our military medical malpractice attorneys proudly represent injured military service members and veterans around the country. Let us show our thanks for your own bravery by offering honest and dependable legal counsel during this difficult time. 

Learn about your options after a heart attack misdiagnosis. Call (833) 913-1885 and ask for a free consultation.

Heart Attack Misdiagnosis Complications

As unusual as it might seem, heart attacks are most commonly confused with heartburn and indigestion, so many patients are sent home with nothing more than a bottle of antacids. Like strokes, a heart attack can be treated in many cases if the condition is diagnosed and treated without delay. As such, if a heart attack is misdiagnosed as something else, then treatments will be delayed, and the risk of the heart attack causing permanent or fatal damage increases as time passes.

If a heart attack is misdiagnosed and treatment is delayed, it can lead to:

• Permanent muscle scarring of the heart
• Brain damage if blood-oxygen levels were low
• Irregular heartbeats or arrhythmia
• Higher risk of other heart conditions in the future
• Chronic heart disease
• Death

Medical Errors That Cause Heart Attack Misdiagnoses

Thousands and thousands of heart attacks are misdiagnosed in medical centers across the country each year, including military medical facilities and VA hospitals. In hospital settings, the rate of misdiagnosis is 16.1% and when a general practitioner (PCP, Family Practice) is making the diagnosis, the rate of misdiagnosis is as high as 68.5%. The most common cause for misdiagnosis was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). One study using a COPD cohort showed that HF was unrecognized in 20.5% of patients and 8.1% had misdiagnosis of HF as COPD.

Medical provider negligence that could lead to a heart attack misdiagnosis includes:

• Incorrect order of triage in the emergency room
• Failing to recognize symptoms of a heart attack
• Diagnosing the heart attack as a different issue
• Not using the right diagnostic tests
• Misinterpreting diagnostic tests
• Mixing up patients
• Not checking patient history before treatment

Can You File Against a Military Hospital?

If a military hospital or on-base medical center misdiagnosed your heart attack, you might be ready to file an injury claim against it. However, you might not have that option, not immediately. Instead, you will likely need to use a claim that is governed by the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). By submitting a Form 95, you will enter an administrative process to review your claim and determine how much compensation you deserve based on your losses. Our attorneys can handle this entire process for you and represent you during any administrative hearings.

Also, if your Form 95 is ultimately rejected and you are not compensated after a heart attack misdiagnosis, we can talk about filing a federal lawsuit to continue your case. You must wait at least 6 months after presenting your Form 95 to file this lawsuit.