Heart Attack Malpractice Attorneys In Greenville, SC
For many people, nothing is scarier than running to the emergency room with a serious health problem. Usually, doctors do well in hospitals and diagnose and treat people correctly. However, there are times when the doctor may miss something, such as a heart attack or related heart problem. Unfortunately, research confirms that doctors often miss heart attacks. If you were taken to an ER or hospital with a heart problem that was not diagnosed correctly or at all and were injured, you could qualify to file a heart attack malpractice lawsuit.
At Parham Smith & Archenhold LLC, our Greenville heart attack malpractice attorneys have helped many people recover compensation for their medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, rehabilitation, and more. In this article, learn more about heart attack malpractice cases, then speak to one of our medical malpractice attorneys for a free consultation.
Heart Attack Symptoms That Doctors Can Miss Or Misdiagnose
No heart attack symptoms should ever be taken lightly, but this serious and sometimes fatal medical condition can be missed or misdiagnosed. Common symptoms of heart attacks that are sometimes missed are:
- Chest pain or tightness in the chest
- Pain in the upper body, such as arm, back, jaw, stomach, or shoulder
- Difficulty breathing
- Weakness and fatigue
- Lightheadedness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sweating
How Can Failure To Diagnose A Heart Attack Be Medical Malpractice?
In an ER or hospital, a heart attack can be misdiagnosed as many things, such as indigestion or heartburn. Heart attacks are also commonly misdiagnosed as pneumonia, anxiety attacks, gallstones, bronchitis, and esophagitis.
Every medical situation with possible heart attack symptoms should be carefully analyzed according to the case facts and circumstances. A proper medical examination and treatment regimen should include a physical exam and patient history. The doctor should look at your risk factors for heart disease, including family history, earlier heart ailments, drug interactions, drug or alcohol abuse, smoking, etc. If the doctor does not do these things and you had a heart attack, it could be malpractice.
Your doctor also could fail to diagnose a heart condition for these reasons:
- Not considering a female patient could have a heart problem
- Not considering that a fit, healthy adult could be having a heart attack
- Not doing proper tests in a timely manner
- Not checking with heart specialists in a timely manner
- Relying too much on EKG results
Also, it is not acceptable in modern American medicine to send someone with chest pain home. Even having a small amount of ischemia puts you at risk for a serious health condition. Your doctor should look into chest pain by using various therapeutic and diagnostic tools.
Contact Our Greenville Heart Attack Malpractice Attorney Today
If you or a loved one suffered an injury or death after a doctor did not diagnose a heart attack or similar condition, our Greenville heart attack medical malpractice attorneys at Parham Smith & Archenhold LLC may be able to help. You may contact us online or at (864) 504-6868 for a free medical malpractice case review.