Military Stroke Misdiagnosis Attorneys

Misdiagnosed Strokes at Military Hospitals

Did you go to a military or VA hospital with symptoms indicating a stroke, only to be turned away or diagnosed with something else? Were you later rushed back to the hospital as your stroke worsened? Or perhaps this situation unfolded for a loved one? If this happened to you or your family, you could be the victim of stroke misdiagnosis, a serious form of military medical malpractice.

At National Trial Law, our attorneys offer nationwide legal counsel to military service members and veterans who were hurt by stroke misdiagnoses. We understand the intricacies of military injury claims and related laws, like the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). Before your case gets any more complicated, come to our firm to see how we can help.

Call (833) 913-1885 today and ask for a free consultation, which we offer to military service members and veterans with potential claims.

How Common is Stroke Misdiagnosis?

Failure to diagnose stroke is a very common form of misdiagnosis. Thousands of people across the country will suffer serious health consequences after suffering a stroke and being misdiagnosed when they go to the hospital or emergency room for help. Medical studies show that as many as 12.7% of strokes are misdiagnosed. This means as many as 165,000 people every year are mistakenly told they do not have a stroke. According to the study, if you were younger, a woman, Black, Asian, or Hispanic, your odds of begin misdiagnosed were higher than the general population.

Stroke misdiagnoses are common across all types of medical clinics and centers, too. From emergency rooms to military hospitals and VA healthcare centers, strokes can and often are misdiagnosed by medical professionals.

What are Strokes Confused With?

Strokes can cause a variety of symptoms depending on the severity of the stroke. Many stroke patients experience dizziness and headaches. A common acronym that medical providers use is “FAST” – [F]ace, [A]rm, [S]peech, and [T]ime. That is, if you have fascial drooping (particularly asymmetrically issues), arm (or leg) weakness, speech difficulties, you must act fast to get medical help.

If a medical provider does not take the proper steps to test for the signs of a stroke, it might be confused with:

• Seizure
• Migraine
• Headache
• Inner ear infection
• Low blood sugar
• Brain tumor
• Mental health crisis
• Fatigue or Malaise
• Urinary tract infections
• Sprains/strains
• Syncope

Sometimes, even when a provider diagnoses you with a stroke, they do not take appropriate follow-up action. For example, our law firm represented an individual who went to the hospital and was diagnosed with a transient ischemic attack. These are known as “mini-strokes.” They often do not have long term consequences but do put patients at risk of subsequent, larger strokes. So, providers should appropriately triage and provide follow up care to ensure their patients do not suffer a second, much larger stroke that can cause permanent functional problems in a patient’s daily life.

Various diagnostic tests can be used by medical providers to look for the telltale symptoms of a stroke so an accurate diagnosis can be made. If those tests are not used or the results are misinterpreted, it might indicate that medical malpractice has occurred, and that is why the patient’s stroke was not treated on time.

Consequences of Stroke Misdiagnosis

Strokes are often treatable if medical attention is provided rapidly at the first sign of symptoms. However, the longer a stroke goes untreated, the more likely it can cause severe and permanent health complications. If a stroke is misdiagnosed, it will likely not be treated on time, and the stroke patient will be put at a high risk of long-term symptoms.

Permanent symptoms caused by strokes include:

• Speech impediment
• Vision problems
• Memory loss
• Frequent seizures
• Immobility or paralysis
• Depression
• Urinary incontinence
• Loss of balance or coordination

Bring Your Case to Our Winning Team

The military stroke misdiagnosis attorneys of National Trial Law are standing by if you need help with your claim. If your stroke was misdiagnosed by a military hospital or an on-base emergency medical center, it’s likely that your case will involve an FTCA claim, which starts with filling out and sending a Form 95. There are specific laws that cover what must be in a federal filing and if you do not correctly present your administrative claim, you would lose your ability to pursue those claims. Our legal team can walk you through every step and represent you throughout this process, so you can focus on recovery. If your Form 95 is rejected, we can then talk about using a federal lawsuit to pursue the damages you are owed. No matter what needs to be done, we’ll be ready to support you with reliable legal counsel.

For a free case evaluation about your stroke misdiagnosis, call (833) 913-1885 at any time.