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Stroke Claims
Stroke is a serious medical condition where the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off causing damage to that part of the brain from cell death. There are two main causes of stroke. Ischemic stroke (accounting for over 80% of all cases) occurs where the blood supply is stopped due to a blood clot or blockage in a blood vessel leading to or within the brain. Haemorrhagic stroke occurs where there is bleeding from a blood vessel in the brain or in the space surrounding the brain such as from a brain aneurysm.
Strokes are medical emergencies as prompt treatment can prevent what could otherwise be catastrophic brain damage. It is essential for patients who are thought to be at risk of a stroke to undergo a structured risk assessment for stroke which is referred to as the ROSIER.
The score obtained on this risk assessment determines the urgency within which the patient is required to be seen and treated by a specialist service. If an ischemic stroke is detected within 4 ½ hours of onset, it is able to be treated with thrombolysis which involves the administration of intravenous Actylase (provided there are no contraindications to its use). Thrombolysis is directed at breaking down the blood clot causing the blockage and is associated with a significantly improved outcome in stroke patients.
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Medical negligence* claims can often arise where there has been an unacceptable delay in the recognition and treatment of an impending stroke. There may be an unacceptable delay in General Practitioners referring patients with symptoms of an impending stroke for urgent hospital assessment or the Accident and Emergency Department of a hospital may fail to adequately and timeously assess a patient’s risk of stroke and appropriately refer him/her for urgent treatment. After admission, a Hospital’s medical team may fail to involve a stroke specialist in the patient’s management at an early stage and thereby miss the limited window of opportunity to provide thrombolysis. Similarly, the specialist Stroke Team may inappropriately delay treatment or fail to provide the appropriate treatment. Where there are deficiencies in the care and management of a patient with overt symptoms of an impending stroke, a medical negligence claim can lie against your treating practitioners for damages associated with the consequences of the stroke which would have been avoided had prompt and adequate medical care been provided.
The probable causes of a stroke can also identify areas where prior medical treatment has caused or contributed to the occurrence of the acute ischemic event. Risk factors for stroke include high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes mellitus and atrial fibrillation. Failure of your treating doctors to adequately manage these pre-existing medical conditions can be found to have negligently caused or contributed to the occurrence of the subsequent stroke.
Our Legal Expertise
Ivor Fitzpatrick & Company Solicitors have an experienced and expert team of medical negligence lawyers.
Our team is headed by Susan Stapleton and David Harris who have practiced in medical negligence and healthcare law for over 25 years.
Our Experience
Ivor Fitzpatrick & Company has successfully recovered damages in several cases for the alleged negligent mismanagement of patients who have sustained severe injuries from completed strokes. As a result of this experience, we will be in a position to provide you with detailed advice with respect to the prospects of bringing a legal claim following a full assessment of the circumstances of your ischemic attack or stroke; to secure the expert evidence which will be necessary in order to fully investigate and to establish your legal claim and to guide you through the legal processes which are involved in bringing a medical negligence claim of this nature.
We have advised and assisted patients who have presented to their general practitioners and/or to Accident & Emergency Departments with the signs and symptoms of an impending stroke and who have not received prompt assessment and treatment in respect of their conditions. We have also acted for several patients who have had known medical conditions, such as atrial fibrillation, that have not been adequately managed and such negligent treatment has caused or contributed to the subsequent occurrence of an acute stroke.
