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Cardiac Care Negligence

Obtaining proper cardiac care in Rhode Island and Massachusetts is often a matter of life or death. With the occurrence of a sudden event such as a myocardial infarction (or “heart attack’) every minute of delay in getting a proper diagnosis can make a difference in the outcome. At these times care providers may fail to recognize the symptoms of a heart attack. This is especially true because the symptoms of a heart attack do not always fit what most people think of as a typical pattern (such as the report of central chest pain or left arm pain). The need to recognize that the signs of an impending heart attack may not always be “typical” is particularly important in cases of younger individuals or women.

Cardiac Care Negligence Cases can arise under a number of different scenarios. The following are examples of such cases that we have successful resolved for our clients:

We represented the family of a middle-age man who went to his community hospital’s Emergency Room several times with a complaint of “heart-burn-like pain.” The patient was advised to take antacids and he was repeatedly discharged to home. The patient subsequently died of a heart attack. Our investigation uncovered the fact that the electrocardiograms [“EKGs”] that were done in the E.R. showed signs of cardiac distress. The E.R. doctors disregarded the EKG findings. The case was resolved in the family’s favor. Our experts said that this man should have been referred to a cardiologist for testing and treatment. If this had been done the heart attack most likely would have not have occurred.

Our client went to the same general practice physician for nearly 20 years. He was unaware that he was at any particular risk for cardiac disease. He suffered a major heart attack. In the course of our investigation we discovered that the blood laboratory work ordered by his doctor showed that for many years he had been suffering from severe, uncontrolled diabetes. Our experts testified that his cardiac disease would not have progressed to such a severe point if his diabetes had been properly treated. The case resolved in our client’s favor.

Our nursing paralegal staff includes has many years of practice experience in Cardiac Emergency Medicine and cardiac intensive care. We consult with nationally renown expert cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons. We have successfully litigated many complex cases involving failure to properly manage patients at risk for cardiovascular disease, and failure to respond in a timely or proper manner in the face of a cardiovascular crisis.