You might believe that a heart attack will be very obvious and will be something that is impossible to miss. However, the signs and symptoms of a heart attack can surprisingly be subtle in some cases. However, if you see a doctor and your doctor fails to identify that you are suffering from a heart attack, you may be entitled to compensation for the injuries you have suffered.

Reasons For Why a Heart Attack Might Be Misdiagnosed

Some heart attacks are misdiagnosed because your doctor believes that you are suffering from another medical condition. Therefore, your medical malpractice attorney would need to show that your doctor should have properly diagnosed your heart attack. There are diagnostic tests that your doctor should have performed that would allow your heart attack to be detected.

If your doctor has been treating you for a long time, they should also be aware of the potential risk of a heart attack that you have. For example, if you have had a heart attack in the past, you may be more likely to have another heart attack in the future. Failing to take this into account can be a form of medical malpractice.

Doctors Sometimes Rule Out Heart Attacks

Even if your doctor is not certain about the cause of your heart attack, they might choose to rule it out too soon. This can put your health in jeopardy because your heart will not have adequate blood flow for a more extended period of time. 

However, proving that the decision made by your doctor was the wrong one is very difficult. For this reason, you'll need help from an experienced medical malpractice attorney and medical professionals who can take into account the medical standards that your doctor should have been following at the time of the incident.

How You Might Be Compensated

While you might fight your case in court, you will be more likely to settle your case out of court. Doctors will typically carry medical malpractice insurance and the insurance provider is more likely to settle out of court than to try to fight the case. However, the insurance provider will try to offer the lowest settlement possible and you will need substantial evidence that your doctor was negligent.

To be able to take action, your doctor must have duty of care. This means that you will need to have been in the doctor's care. Then, if you are able to prove that the doctor was negligent and that this negligence led to you suffering damage, you may be able to reach a settlement. For more information, contact a medical malpractice attorney.

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