A heart attack is a medical emergency, occurring when a clot in a blood vessel blocks the flow of blood and essential oxygen to the heart. The muscles suffer damage, other tissues die off, and the potential for a second acute myocardial infarction (AMI) increases. Fortunately, effective treatment is available and prevention strategies can reduce the risk. Serious patient harm and associated losses result when Florida health care providers engage in heart attack malpractice.
State laws provide you with options if you were affected by mistakes with treating AMI, and our team at Freidin Brown, P.A. will assist with the process. Please contact us to set up a free consultation with a St. Petersburg heart attack malpractice lawyer. You might also benefit from reviewing some background information about your rights.
Common Errors with Heart Attack
There are many different reasons that physicians make mistakes with treating AMI, but they usually involve negligence. Under the statute, negligence refers to a breach of the standard of care in providing treatment. With heart attack care, examples are:
- Misdiagnosis, with AMI often being confused with indigestion
- Failure to order appropriate tests and lab screenings, such as chest x-ray, MRI, or EKG
- Errors in reading results from these tests
- Neglect in pinpointing symptoms, which are different for women
- Delays in administering clot-busting medications to re-establish blood flow
- Declining to take measures to prevent a second heart attack, such as angioplasty and stenting
Act Fast Against Medical Negligence – Speak with Our Heart Attack Lawyers Now!
Challenges with Heart Attack Malpractice Cases
One major obstacle in a med mal claim involves the standard of care – what it is and how your doctor breached it through negligence. For example, if you sought treatment on an emergency basis, your physician would be compared to other ER doctors. However, the standard would be different if heart attack malpractice was linked to mistakes by your primary care physician or cardiologist.
Another challenge with these cases is tying the malpractice to the heart attack. Victims who possess risk factors and make unhealthy lifestyle choices might encounter issues with proof.
Chronology for Med Mal Claims
To recover compensation for medical costs, pain and suffering, and other losses, you will need to go through a series of steps. Our St. Petersburg heart attack malpractice attorneys at Freidin Brown, P.A. will support you at each stage, including:
- During investigations and collecting evidence
- Preparing all forms to file a claim with the medical malpractice insurance company that covers the at-fault provider
- Discussing options with the insurer to work out an agreement via settlement
- Complying with all prefiling requirements before initiating litigation
- Filing a lawsuit and going through all court proceedings to the trial date
A St. Petersburg Heart Attack Malpractice Lawyer Will Guide You
It is helpful to know the timeline of a med mal claim, but you can trust our team at Freidin Brown, P.A. to handle the important details. If you suffered harm, please contact us to schedule a complimentary case assessment with a St. Petersburg heart attack malpractice lawyer. We can advise you on what to expect after reviewing the details of your case.
