Heart attacks are immensely dangerous events regardless of your age or physical condition. In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of death in America. Because of this, qualified physicians must know how to spot symptoms of heart attacks and promptly treat them when—or ideally before—they occur. Any doctor that does not display this basic level of competency and care could be held liable for harm that results from their misconduct.
Filing suit over a misdiagnosed heart attack can be a uniquely complex and time-consuming process without the guidance of an experienced malpractice attorney. Fortunately, a Bridgeport heart attack misdiagnosis lawyer can help you seek out the payments you need and deserve. Call Berkowitz Hanna today to get started.
While heart attacks are often portrayed as dramatic and apparent events in popular media, they can be challenging to identify in reality. This is mainly because heart attacks may manifest with mild symptoms that could be mistaken for other, less dangerous conditions. With that being said, all medical professionals still have a duty to meet the same standard of care that any physician with equivalent experience and training would provide under the same circumstances. Therefore, if a doctor misinterprets heart attack symptoms in a way that an equally qualified doctor would not have, they may have committed legally actionable malpractice.
In the same vein, misdiagnosing a heart attack as a different condition that requires additional treatment, relying heavily on a routine EKG reading without further testing, or simply assuming that a patient without many risk factors could not suffer a heart attack may all constitute violations of this applicable standard of care. During a private consultation, a Bridgeport heart attack misdiagnosis attorney can go over the circumstances that led to an incorrect diagnosis and offer guidance about whether they could justify civil litigation.
Even if a doctor did cause a patient harm by misdiagnosing their heart attack, civil courts in Connecticut would not simply take the patient’s word that malpractice occurred. By Connecticut General Statutes §52-190a, people intending to file suit over medical mistakes of any kind must conduct a “reasonable inquiry” to establish that they have valid legal grounds to pursue their claim.
As part of this process, the prospective plaintiff must obtain a written and signed statement from at least one qualified medical expert confirming that, in their professional opinion and based on specific listed details, the plaintiff sustained harm through legally actionable malpractice. A skilled Bridgeport attorney could provide vital assistance with fulfilling this and all other filing requirements following a heart attack misdiagnosis.
Even if you receive prompt and comprehensive medical care, suffering a heart attack can still be an extremely harmful and traumatic experience. Therefore, if you do not get the treatment you need and deserve, the consequences of a heart attack may be exponentially worse—often only because the medical professionals you went to for help did not act responsibly.
When faced with such a scenario, guidance from a Bridgeport heart attack misdiagnosis lawyer can make all the difference in how effectively you can enforce your rights to pursue civil recovery. Reach out to our team at Berkowitz Hanna today to learn more.
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