Stroke Lawyers Baltimore MD | Expert Stroke Misdiagnosis Lawyer Fighting For Your Rights

Has a doctor’s failure to diagnose a stroke left you or a loved one with permanent disabilities and mounting medical bills? Every year in Baltimore, families just like yours are devastated when healthcare providers miss critical symptoms, but you don’t have to fight this battle alone. Without experienced stroke lawyers in Baltimore, MD, advocating for your rights, you risk losing the compensation you deserve for a lifetime of care and lost income. Our dedicated stroke lawyer will personally handle your case from start to finish.

Preeminent Medical Malpractice Attorneys in Baltimore

Stroke injury is difficult enough to recover from, let alone if it resulted from someone else’s mistake. If you or a loved one has experienced a brain injury from a stroke, don’t suffer in silence. You have a right to seek compensation for lost wages, medical costs and other needs the injury has created and our legal team can help. With decades of experience ensuring our clients receive everything their trauma warrants, we will put your personal injury first — it’s what we do.

Why should you trust our Baltimore attorneys?

• We approach each case with a winning mindset — which means preparing for each trial with your needs in mind.
• Our aggressive approach has garnered praise from courts, legal thinkers, and juries alike.
• Across our cases, our clients have been awarded hundreds of millions in verdicts and settlements*.
• We work until you win — our clients are with us on a contingency fee basis, so they never pay until we win. Every client receives personalized attention throughout the legal process.

The Hazards Of Stroke Misdiagnosis

Strokes, the most common form of brain injury, occur when blood is unable to flow to or from the brain. As one of the top three leading causes of death in the United States, this injury is a major health concern facing Americans. When they are not deadly, strokes still have severe effects as they are the highest cause of long-term disability. According to recent statistics reports, nearly 800,000 people suffer a stroke each year.

Long-term issues caused by stroke include:

• Loss of speech
• Loss of memory
• Personality shift
• Loss of motor control
• Partial or total paralysis

Medical doctors are not always accurate when identifying stroke. Recent studies found that for different groups of patients, emergency doctors are 30% more likely to miss symptoms or ignore signs of stroke. Women, minorities and people under 45 were most at risk for misdiagnosis. More shocking, emergency room doctors are thought of as the most familiar with and trained to spot these symptoms.

Types of Strokes

Not all strokes are the same, and understanding the different types can help you recognize when medical professionals might have missed important warning signs. Our injury lawyer team specializes in identifying when Baltimore doctors fail to identify these different types, resulting in life-altering consequences.

Ischemic Strokes

Almost 87% of all stroke cases are ischemic strokes, which happen when a blood clot blocks blood flow to the brain. These often start with warning signs like sudden numbness, confusion, or trouble speaking. When doctors in Baltimore hospitals don’t take these symptoms seriously, they miss a critical window for treatment. Clot-busting medications must be given within 3-4.5 hours to be effective—every minute counts for this type of brain injury.

Hemorrhagic Strokes

These occur when a blood vessel ruptures and bleeds into the brain. Patients often describe a “thunderclap headache”—the worst headache of their life. Too many times, our Baltimore clients were sent home from emergency rooms with a wrong diagnosis of migraine or tension headache. This type of brain injury requires immediate surgical intervention, and delays can be fatal.

Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIAs)

Often called “mini-strokes,” TIAs are serious warning signs that a major stroke may follow. The symptoms typically last less than an hour, but should never be ignored. Sadly, many Maryland patients report that their TIA symptoms were dismissed as anxiety, vertigo, or exhaustion. About 1 in 3 people who have a TIA will eventually have a major stroke if preventive measures aren’t taken.

When is it Stroke Malpractice?

Medical errors happen, but not all mistakes qualify as medical malpractice. To have a valid case in Maryland, four key elements must be present:

1. A doctor-patient relationship existed – The healthcare provider had a duty to provide care according to medical standards
2. The standard of care was violated – The provider failed to act as a reasonably competent medical professional would in similar circumstances
3. The violation caused harm – The doctor’s negligence directly resulted in the injury or worsened its effects
4. Damages occurred – The patient suffered measurable harm, such as disability, lost income, or additional medical expenses

In medical negligence cases involving stroke, problems often involve:

• Failure to order appropriate tests, like CT scans or MRIs when symptoms are present
• Misreading test results that show clear signs of an ongoing or impending brain injury
• Improper medication, such as prescribing blood thinners to patients with hemorrhagic conditions
• Delayed treatment beyond the critical window when clot-busting drugs would be effective
• Discharging patients with stroke symptoms without proper evaluation

The medical community has established clear protocols for assessment, including the FAST method (Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties, Time to call 911). When Baltimore healthcare providers ignore these protocols and someone suffers as a result, it’s not just an unfortunate outcome—it’s medical malpractice. Our firm has extensive experience helping victims pursue a medical negligence lawsuit to secure the compensation they deserve.

How Can Medical Malpractice Cause a Stroke?

While failure to diagnose is common, medical malpractice can actually cause stroke in several ways:

• Medication Errors: Some medications increase risk factors, especially when prescribed without considering a patient’s history. Blood thinners must be carefully monitored—too much can cause bleeding in the brain, while improper discontinuation can lead to blood clots. We’ve represented Baltimore clients whose doctors abruptly stopped their anticoagulants before procedures without proper bridging therapy, resulting in serious brain injury.
• Surgical Complications: During neck and heart surgeries, improper technique can dislodge plaque from arterial walls, causing clots to travel to the brain. Anesthesia errors that cause blood pressure spikes can lead to the rupture of weakened blood vessels. We’ve successfully litigated cases where Maryland patients entered hospitals for routine procedures and suffered brain injuries due to surgical negligence.
• Failure to Manage Risk Factors: Doctors who don’t properly treat conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, or atrial fibrillation may be liable when these unmanaged conditions lead to stroke. We’ve seen cases where Baltimore patients had consistently high blood pressure readings at multiple doctor visits, yet no action was taken until after their injury occurred.
• Birth Injuries: Oxygen deprivation or traumatic force during delivery can cause neonatal brain injury. These personal injury cases are particularly heartbreaking because the effects may follow a child throughout their life. Our lawyers in Baltimore MD, have helped families secure compensation to cover lifetime care for children affected by birth-related injuries.

The medical profession has established clear standards for preventing stroke in high-risk patients. When Baltimore healthcare providers fail to meet these standards, they should be held accountable for the life-altering consequences.

Call 410-THE-FIRM (843-3476) For a Free Case Evaluation

The Snyder Law Group proudly represents clients throughout Maryland. Our experienced attorneys understand the frustration that comes with an insurance company, medical professional, or other party that refuses to accept liability for negligent or reckless behavior. You can take heart in knowing there are talented and experienced lawyers ready to work for you. Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your medical malpractice claim.

We offer a no-obligation free consultation to all potential clients who have suffered from medical malpractice. During this consultation, our stroke lawyers will review your stroke malpractice case, answer your questions, and help you understand your legal options.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is medical malpractice for a stroke?

Medical malpractice for a stroke occurs when a healthcare provider fails to meet the accepted standard of care in diagnosing or treating a stroke, resulting in harm to the patient. This includes missing symptoms, delaying treatment beyond the critical time window, administering incorrect medications, or failing to prevent a stroke in high-risk patients. In Maryland, you must prove the doctor had a duty of care, breached that duty, and that breach directly caused harm. Each case is unique, but common examples include emergency room doctors dismissing symptoms as migraines or anxiety, failing to order appropriate imaging tests, or misinterpreting test results that showed clear signs of brain injury.

How long does it take to file a medical malpractice claim?

In Maryland, you generally have three years from the date the malpractice occurred or from when you discovered (or reasonably should have discovered) the injury to file a claim. This is known as the statute of limitations. However, there are exceptions that might extend or shorten this timeframe. For instance, if the victim is a minor, the deadline may be extended. If the stroke victim died, surviving family members typically have three years from the date of death to file a wrongful death claim. Contact an experienced medical malpractice lawyer for a free consultation to understand how these timelines apply to your specific situation.

Can I sue for stroke misdiagnosis?

Yes, you can sue for misdiagnosis if the healthcare provider’s negligence led to harm that could have been prevented with proper diagnosis and treatment. Successful stroke misdiagnosis lawsuits typically involve cases where doctors ignored clear symptoms, failed to order appropriate tests, or misinterpreted test results. For example, suppose you went to a Baltimore emergency room with facial drooping, slurred speech, and arm weakness—classic stroke symptoms—and were sent home with a diagnosis of stress or intoxication, resulting in permanent brain damage that could have been prevented with timely treatment. In that case, you likely have grounds for a personal injury lawsuit.

Who’s liable for stroke misdiagnosis?

Multiple parties may be liable for misdiagnosis. The primary physician who failed to diagnose the stroke bears direct responsibility, but liability often extends beyond just one doctor. The hospital or medical facility can be held liable under the legal doctrine of “respondeat superior,” which holds employers responsible for employee actions. Emergency room staff, radiologists who misinterpreted imaging results, neurologists consulted on the case, and even the ambulance service that transported the patient may share liability. In some cases, insurers who denied necessary testing that would have detected the stroke may also be held responsible. Maryland laws regarding joint and several liability allow multiple parties to be named in a lawsuit, thereby increasing the likelihood of receiving fair compensation. Each case requires a thorough investigation to identify all potentially liable parties.

What compensation is available for stroke negligence?

Compensation for medical malpractice in Maryland typically includes both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages cover quantifiable financial losses such as past and future medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, home modifications, and ongoing care needs. Non-economic damages compensate for intangible losses like pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium for spouses. Our attorneys work with medical experts to calculate the full extent of your damages and fight for the maximum compensation you deserve. Schedule a free consultation with our experienced lawyer team to discuss the potential value of your personal injury case.