Heart attacks and strokes impact many families in the Houston area every year. In many, if not most, cases, heart attacks and strokes are just part of life, even for those who are younger and who have maintained a healthy lifestyle. Some good news about heart attacks and strokes is that, if a doctor recognizes the warning signs and symptoms early on, many patients will have a good chance of getting the right treatment and surviving the ordeal.
Unfortunately, when emergency room doctors and others do not recognize a heart attack or stroke, the result can be an untimely death or, even if the patient survives, irreversible and serious brain damage. Obviously, such a preventable tragedy puts a great deal of financial and emotional strain on a family.
There are a number of ways in which a medical professional can negligently fail to respond to a heart attack or a stroke. In some cases, a nurse may either ignore or minimize reports that a patient is experiencing the symptoms of a stroke or heart attack, including severe chest pain or weakness on one side of the body.
Doctors also can get lulled into complacency or over-confidence. In some cases, they may refuse to consider a heart attack or a stroke because of a patient’s youth. In other cases, they may misdiagnose a heart attack as a digestive problem or even as anxiety.
Doctors in Texas have an obligation to evaluate a patient thoroughly even if there is only a slight chance that the patient is actually having a heart attack or stroke. When doctors, or other medical professionals, fail in this obligation, our law office is able to support victims in securing the compensation they deserve through dedicated representation and legal experience. Our attorneys can offer assistance, helping our clients understand their rights when it comes to seeking legal recourses.
