Delayed Stroke Treatment FL
Over 35 Years Experience

Florida Stroke Misdiagnosis Lawyer: Fighting for Victims of Delayed Treatment

Holding Healthcare Providers Accountable When Failure to Diagnose Stroke Leads to Preventable Brain Damage and Disability.

  • “Time is Brain”: We Understand the Urgency
  • Experienced in Complex Diagnostic Error Cases
  • Fighting for Your Lifelong Care and Compensation
  • No Fee Unless We Win Your Case
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Over 35 Years of Experience Fighting for Victims of Negligence

A stroke is a medical emergency where every second counts. When blood flow to the brain is interrupted, brain cells begin to die within minutes. Prompt recognition of stroke symptoms and rapid medical intervention are absolutely critical to minimizing brain damage and improving a patient’s chances of recovery.

A failure to diagnose a stroke in a timely manner, or a misdiagnosis of its symptoms as a less serious condition, can rob a patient of their chance to receive time-sensitive, life-altering treatments like tPA (tissue plasminogen activator) or a thrombectomy. This delay can be the difference between a minor deficit and a lifetime of severe disability, and it often constitutes medical malpractice.

If you or a loved one suffered severe harm because doctors failed to recognize or act quickly on stroke symptoms in Florida, Lisa Levine, an experienced Florida stroke misdiagnosis lawyer, can help you seek justice.

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Recognizing the Signs of a Stroke: F.A.S.T. and Beyond

male doctor using a tablet indoors.

Healthcare providers, especially in emergency settings, are trained to rapidly identify stroke symptoms. The F.A.S.T. mnemonic is a primary tool:

  • F – Face Drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb?
  • A – Arm Weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Does one arm drift downward when raised?
  • S – Speech Difficulty: Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand?
  • T – Time to call 911: If any of these signs are present, it is a medical emergency.

Other critical stroke symptoms that doctors must recognize include:

  • Sudden numbness or weakness of the leg, especially on one side.
  • Sudden confusion or trouble understanding speech.
  • Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
  • Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance and coordination.
  • Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

A provider’s failure to perform a proper stroke assessment or recognize these clear signs can be a catastrophic form of negligence.

Common Failures in Diagnosing Stroke

Diagnostic errors involving stroke most often occur in busy emergency rooms or primary care clinics. These critical failures can include:

  • Misattributing Symptoms: Dismissing classic stroke symptoms and misdiagnosing the patient with a less severe condition like a migraine, vertigo, intoxication, an inner ear infection, Bell’s Palsy, or even a psychiatric issue.
  • Failure to Perform a Neurological Exam: Not conducting a thorough and timely stroke assessment based on the patient’s complaints.
  • Delaying Brain Imaging: Not ordering an urgent CT scan or MRI, which are essential for confirming a stroke and determining if it is ischemic (clot) or hemorrhagic (bleed).
  • Misinterpreting Imaging Studies: A radiologist or other physician failing to correctly identify evidence of a stroke on a CT or MRI scan.
  • Overlooking Atypical Symptoms: Failing to consider stroke in younger patients, women, or individuals who present with non-traditional symptoms.
  • Failure to Consult a Neurologist: Not involving a stroke specialist in a timely manner when stroke is a possibility.
  • “Patient Dumping”: Discharging a patient from the ER who is still exhibiting signs of a TIA (“mini-stroke”) or an evolving stroke.

The Devastating Consequences of a Delayed Stroke Diagnosis

When a stroke diagnosis is delayed, the window for effective, brain-saving treatments closes rapidly. This negligence leads to:

  • Ineligibility for tPA: This powerful clot-busting drug must typically be administered within a 3 to 4.5-hour window from symptom onset for ischemic strokes. A diagnostic delay denies the patient this chance.
  • Severe, Lifelong Disabilities: Including partial or full paralysis (hemiplegia), speech loss (aphasia), cognitive impairment, vision problems, memory loss, and difficulty swallowing.
  • Missed Opportunity for Thrombectomy: This surgical clot-removal procedure is also highly time-sensitive.
  • More Extensive and Permanent Brain Damage: The longer the brain is deprived of oxygenated blood, the more brain tissue dies.
  • Need for a Lifetime of Care: Including rehabilitation, nursing care, and assistive devices.
  • Increased Risk of Death.

Establishing Medical Malpractice in a Stroke Case

To succeed in a Florida stroke misdiagnosis lawsuit, we must prove that the healthcare provider’s actions fell below the accepted standard of care for stroke diagnosis and treatment, directly causing a worse outcome. This involves demonstrating:

  • The Standard of Care: Establishing what a reasonably competent doctor or hospital would have done, such as performing a rapid neurological exam and ordering an immediate CT scan.
  • Breach of Duty: Showing how the provider failed in this duty (e.g., they delayed the scan for hours, misread the results, or sent the patient home).
  • Causation: Proving through expert testimony that this delay or error directly caused the patient to suffer more severe brain damage and disability than they would have with timely treatment.
  • Damages: Documenting the full extent of the patient’s lifelong physical, emotional, and financial losses.

Why Trust Lisa Levine with Your Florida Stroke Misdiagnosis Claim?

Stroke misdiagnosis cases require an attorney with a deep understanding of the time-critical nature of stroke care and the complexities of medical negligence law. Lisa S. Levine, P.A. offers:

  • Over 35 Years of Medical Malpractice Focus: Lisa Levine brings decades of experience specifically handling complex medical malpractice claims, including those involving time-sensitive conditions like stroke.
  • Proven Results & Expert Network: A strong track record supported by leading neurologists, emergency room physicians, and radiologists who are crucial for proving diagnostic failures.
  • Personalized, Compassionate Service: We understand the devastating impact a stroke has on the entire family and provide direct attorney access and genuine support.
  • No Upfront Fees: We work on a contingency basis – no fees unless we win.
  • Aggressive Advocacy: We are prepared to fight aggressively for the resources and compensation your family needs for a lifetime of care.
Medical Malpractice Stroke Diagnosis

Compensation for a Lifetime of Care After a Misdiagnosed Stroke

A severe stroke caused by diagnostic delay can necessitate a lifetime of care. Compensation in a successful lawsuit is designed to cover these extensive past and future needs, including:

Life Care Plan Costs

– Including future medical treatments, in-home nursing care, physical, occupational, and speech therapy.

Medical Expenses

– For initial hospitalization, surgeries, and rehabilitation.

Pain and Suffering

– For the profound physical and emotional trauma of the stroke and its aftermath.

Home and Vehicle Modifications

– To accommodate wheelchairs and other mobility challenges.

Loss of Enjoyment of Life

– Acknowledging the loss of independence and ability to participate in life’s activities.

Wrongful Death Damages

If the misdiagnosed stroke led to the death of a loved one.

Lost Wages and Total Loss of Earning Capacity

– As many severe stroke victims are left permanently unable to work.

Proven Results in Medical Malpractice & Failure to Diagnose Cases

$2,500,000

jane doe
v. surgeon and hospital

Following a laminectomy where she sustained an intraoperative injury, Jane Doe (66) developed immediate CES signs. A hematoma was untimely diagnosed, and surgery to evacuate it occurred 4 days post-op, leaving her with permanent severe pain, gait issues, saddle anesthesia, and bowel/bladder dysfunction.

$2,500,000

estate of john doe
v. hospital

Our client, a 40-year-old father of 2 minor children, entered the hospital for pain management because of kidney stones. He was given Demerol for pain management. Demerol is a respiratory suppressant and the patient needs to be monitored closely. He died within 24 hours due to hospital’s failure to monitor the patient.

See More Case Results

Disclaimer: Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is unique.

Frequently Asked Questions About Stroke Misdiagnosis Lawsuits

Potentially, yes. If your initial symptoms were a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA or “mini-stroke”), failing to properly diagnose it and initiate preventative treatment is a common form of negligence. A TIA is a major warning sign that a full stroke may be imminent.

For ischemic strokes, the clot-busting drug tPA is typically most effective within 3 to 4.5 hours of symptom onset. Mechanical thrombectomy also has a limited, though sometimes longer, window. Any negligent delay can be critical.

Yes. All hospital emergency departments are expected to have protocols to rapidly recognize, stabilize, and treat or transfer stroke patients. A failure in this initial process can be negligence, regardless of the hospital’s designation.

The Florida medical malpractice statute of limitations (generally 2 years from incident/discovery, with a 4-year absolute limit) applies. It is crucial to act quickly.

Was a Stroke Misdiagnosed or Treatment Delayed? Get Legal Help.

If a delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis of a stroke led to preventable harm for you or a loved one in Florida, do not wait. Contact Lisa S. Levine, P.A. to understand your legal rights.

Your initial consultation is free and completely confidential. We are here to listen and explain how we can fight for the justice and resources your family needs to face the future.

Schedule Your Free Stroke Misdiagnosis Case Evaluation