New York Heart Attack Misdiagnosis Attorneys

Heart Attack Malpractice Cases

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in both men and women in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 805,000 people in the U.S. experience a heart attack every year. This equates to about one person having a heart attack every 40 seconds. While advances in modern medicine have allowed for better diagnosis and treatment for heart attacks, not every patient who visits the emergency room with heart attack symptoms receives the care they need.

If you or your loved one was improperly diagnosed or treated for a heart attack by a medical professional, leading to serious injury or death, you may have grounds for a medical malpractice claim. At Simonson Goodman Platzer PC, we can help you understand your legal options and immediately begin working to protect your right to a fair recovery. With a proven record of success in 98% of the cases our attorneys have handled, including more than $200 million recovered for our clients, we are well-poised to advocate for you throughout the entire legal process.

On This Page

• Heart Attack Symptoms
• Misdiagnosis of Heart Attacks in Emergency Rooms
• Heart Attack Misdiagnosis Can Have Deadly Consequences
• Let Our Firm Fight for You

Contact us online or call (800) 817-5029 to schedule a no-cost, no-obligation consultation with one of our New York heart attack misdiagnosis lawyers.

Heart Attack Symptoms

A heart attack, technically known as myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction, occurs when lack of oxygen to the heart (cardiac ischemia) caused by a partial or total blockage of an artery leads to the death of the affected heart tissues.

The most common symptom of a heart attack is chest pain. Although rare, some people will experience a heart attack without any symptoms whatsoever. Additionally, because heart attacks often occur over a span of several hours, people may not initially realize that what they are experiencing is, in fact, a medical emergency.

Some of the more common symptoms of a heart attack include:

• Pain in the chest, which may feel like pressure, tightness, or an aching/squeezing sensation
• Indigestion and/or heartburn
• Nausea
• Sudden lightheadedness or dizziness
• Cold sweats
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Abdominal pain

It’s important to note that heart attack symptoms can be incredibly varied; in some cases, symptoms are mild or nearly non-existent but in others, they are extremely severe. If you suspect that you or someone else is having a heart attack, call 911 or go to the emergency room right away.

Misdiagnosis of Heart Attacks in Emergency Rooms

All too often, patients with symptoms of a heart attack, such as chest pain and shortness of breath, go to the emergency room only to be turned away. They may be misdiagnosed with another, less-serious condition or the ER doctor may fail to administer the proper tests. In any case, when a patient does not receive the proper standard of care and is sent home without treatment, the consequences can be devastating and, in many cases, deadly.

Common examples of heart attack misdiagnoses in emergency rooms in the U.S. include:

• Failing to diagnose a heart attack in a patient presenting atypical symptoms
• Misdiagnosing heart attack symptoms as something less serious
• Misdiagnosing heart attack symptoms as signs of psychological distress (this is historically more common in female patients)
• Delayed diagnosis as a result of failure to recognize severity of symptoms
• Failing to order proper diagnostic tests
• Negligent diagnostic procedures, leading to incorrect results
• Misreading diagnostic tests and/or analyses
• Failing to take into account a patient’s medical background and history
• Dismissing patient’s self-reported symptoms due to the age of the patient or a pre-existing condition

While anyone is at risk of being misdiagnosed, studies have shown that women and people of color are at a higher risk of receiving a heart attack misdiagnosis.

Heart Attack Misdiagnosis Can Have Deadly Consequences

When a medical professional fails to accurately and quickly diagnose a heart attack, the patient will not receive the treatment he or she needs. This can have serious consequences, including worsening symptoms, major complications, and even death. In fact, studies have shown that the risk of dying from a heart attack increases by as much as 50% if the patient is not properly diagnosed.

For those who do survive, the risk of experiencing complications as a result of a heart attack misdiagnosis and failure to treat is high. Many will be readmitted and require further medical attention in the future.

The physical, emotional, and financial cost of medical negligence is immense. Victims and their loved ones are likely to incur massive medical bills and experience a significant degree of pain and suffering as a result of receiving substandard medical care. You shouldn’t have to simply deal with the consequences of medical negligence on your own.

Let Our Firm Fight for You

If you suffered serious complications or if your loved one died after a physician, emergency room doctor, or another health care professional failed to timely diagnose and treat a heart attack, we can help. At Simonson Goodman Platzer PC, we understand what you are going through, and we believe that you deserve fair compensation for your losses and justice for the suffering you have endured. Our New York heart attack malpractice attorneys are ready to put decades of legal experience and a long-proven track record of success on your side.

We have offices located in New York and New Jersey and offer free initial consultations to all prospective clients. We also provide our services on a contingency fee basis, meaning if we do not win your case, you do not pay.

Schedule a free case evaluation with our team today; call (800) 817-5029 to get started.