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Undiagnosed heart disease may have resulted in man’s death

On Behalf of | Jul 18, 2018 | Failure To Diagnose

Significant advances in the medical field have been made to aid physicians in making quick and accurate diagnoses of patients. Blood tests, radiology tests, ultrasound technology and others all help add to the data that physicians need to make a correct diagnosis of a patient. When patients in Massachusetts suffer from some sort of heart disease, stroke, blood clot or sepsis, a timely diagnosis is vital to the outcome of a patient’s health. One family recently settled a wrongful death lawsuit, claiming that a hospital and emergency room physician failed to diagnose man’s pending cardiac arrest.

The 47-year-old man was a father of two sons and is also survived by his mother. Reportedly, symptoms of chest pain, headache and shortness of breath were significant enough for him to make a visit to an emergency room. No details of his treatment or recommended follow-up treatment were reported. He was released to home.

The following day, the man’s heart stopped in his home, and he did not survive his cardiac arrest. Approximately one year following his death, his mother and two sons filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the hospital for failure to accurately diagnose the man. Court records indicate that the family and the hospital agreed to an undisclosed settlement although attorneys for the hospital stated that they did not admit liability in the man’s death with the agreement. The settlement is to be divided between the two sons, the man’s mother and the family’s attorney.

Heart disease can result in significant changes in a person’s lifestyle and quality of life. When diagnosed and treated early, it can often reduce the impact on an individual’s health. Victims of suspected medical negligence may wish to speak to a medical malpractice attorney in Massachusetts about their options for legal recourse. Some cases result in financial compensation through a lawsuit in civil court.