A brain injury that is not hereditary or congenital (a birth defect) is sometimes known as an acquired brain injury or ABI. These can be caused by:

  • Stroke
  • Tumors
  • Anoxia (lack of oxygen to the brain)
  • Infection in the brain
  • Aneurysm (a weakness in the wall of a cerebral artery or vein that causes the vessel to swell and possibly burst)
  • Trauma, known as a traumatic brain injury, or TBI

The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) says about 795,000 children and adults in the U.S. sustain an ABI each year, and another 2.4 million suffer a TBI.

Justice for Victims of Medical Negligence

When a person suffers a brain injury because of someone’s negligence, including when a stroke is not properly diagnosed and treated, he or she may have the right to pursue a legal claim. Compensation from a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit, which may address medical malpractice, can help pay medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering and punitive damages in some cases.

If you believe a brain injury or stroke that disrupted your life was caused by someone’s negligence, call Joye Law Firm. It is crucial to obtain the help of attorneys experienced with the technical information in medical records about brain injury and stroke cases.

Joye Law Firm’s attorneys have successfully pursued legal claims on behalf of injury victims in South Carolina since 1968. Put our experience to work for you.

Strokes Require Quick, Competent Medical Action

A stroke is a potentially fatal medical emergency that requires prompt treatment. Strokes rob the brain of blood and oxygen, which can cause brain cells to die within minutes. Stroke survivors may suffer irreversible brain damage.

Stroke is the leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States, and is the third-leading cause of death, according to the National Institutes of Health.

A person who has had a TBI faces a tenfold increase in the risk of having a stroke within three months, according to researchers.

But, as the Mayo Clinic points out, strokes can be prevented, and many fewer Americans die of stroke now than even 15 years ago.

The most common sign of a stroke is sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg, usually on one side of the body. Other warning signs may include the sudden onset of:

  • Confusion, slurring or trouble speaking, or trouble understanding speech
  • Blurriness or other vision problems in one or both eyes
  • Trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
  • Severe headache with no known cause.

Someone who exhibits signs of a stroke needs to be treated within three hours of the first symptoms. At the emergency room or other healthcare facility, nurses and doctors should take time to fully assess the patient’s symptoms and obtain a medical history, including the patient’s current medications. They should immediately check for:

  • A “whooshing” sound (bruit) over the patient’s neck (carotid) arteries, which may indicate atherosclerosis, or blockage.
  • Abnormally high or low blood sugar and whether critical blood chemicals are out of balance.

Strokes may also be diagnosed with imaging technology such as:

  • CT (computerized tomography) scan
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
  • Carotid ultrasound
  • Cerebral angiogram
  • Echocardiogram

Consequences of a Stroke

A stroke can leave a victim with brain damage that causes:

  • Hemiparesis (weakness on one side of the body) or hemiplegia (paralysis on one side of the body)
  • Dysarthria (difficulty speaking or slurred speech) or dysphagia (trouble swallowing)
  • Loss of peripheral vision and trouble with visual perception
  • Fatigue
  • Loss of emotional control and mood changes
  • Problems with memory, judgment and problem-solving
  • Personality changes or behavior changes (improper language or actions).

In some cases, stroke victims can recover speech, muscle strength and mobility after rehab therapy. Rehab may take place at a hospital, a skilled nursing facility, an outpatient clinic or at the patient’s home.

We Help Stroke Victims and Their Families Recover

If you suspect that your or a loved one’s stroke was not diagnosed and treated correctly by medical personnel, you may deserve compensation.

A failure to follow the accepted standards of medical care that results in harm to patients may be considered medical malpractice. Injured patients or surviving family members may pursue claims for compensation from doctors, nurses, physician’s assistants, lab technicians, pharmacists, the hospital, medical practice or clinic involved with the medical error or negligence.

Joye Law Firm can thoroughly investigate the circumstances of your stroke case and help you obtain compensation if you or your loved one was a victim of medical malpractice. Our attorneys help victims of life-changing injuries like stroke from all across South Carolina.

Call Joye Law Firm now or fill out our online contact form for a free claim review and advice about your legal rights.

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