It’s no secret that a precise diagnosis and quick treatment are critical in eliminating the disabling effects of a heart attack. But sometimes, mistakes can occur and even heart attack warning signs can be overlooked by a physician who is in a rush or due to an overcrowded emergency department and hospital staff who are not properly trained. As a result, heart attacks—along with the life-long adverse effects—can occur because medical negligence takes place.
Other ways in which medical malpractice related to a heart attack can occur can include failure to conduct diagnostic tests, failure to perform a physical exam, failure to treat or perform a surgery in a timely manner, or failure to diagnose or misdiagnose a heart attack, resulting in no treatment or delayed treatment. Unfortunately, any of these acts of medical negligence can lead to the following disabling effects:
- Brain damage and memory loss. When a heart attack occurs, a person often has to be resuscitated. During resuscitation, the brain is often deprived of oxygen which can cause memory troubles and brain damage.
- Other heart problems. When someone survives a heart attack, the person is at high risk of developing other heart problems, such as heart valve damage, stroke, or heart failure. If these other heart problems occur because a doctor was negligent in diagnosing a heart attack, the victim should be compensated for the disabling effects.
Because treatment is necessary to reducing the disabling effects of a heart attack, it is wise to review the atypical heart attack symptoms as well as typical symptoms of a heart attack, including: shortness of breath, lightheadedness, discomfort or pain in the arms and neck, heaviness of arms, pain between the shoulder blades, and chest pain.
If you or your loved one suffered the disabling effects of a heart attack due to the medical negligence of a doctor or hospital, you may have a medical malpractice claim on your hands. Even if you suffer from fatigue and depression following a heart attack that should have been caught by your doctor, you may have difficulty working or holding the same type of job as you did before the attack. In order to seek compensation for the damages you suffered, you may want to consider a medical malpractice lawsuit. To learn more about your rights, please request a free copy of our book, What You Need to Know Before Pursuing a Medical Malpractice Case.