Final Verdict: Seconds Mean Life and Death

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Final Verdict: Seconds Mean Life and Death

Hospitals see thousands of emergency room patients every day. Many have acute and serious health conditions that require immediate care, while others are in less serious situations and don’t need to be seen right away. Complaints about long wait times in emergency rooms are common, but these are usually the results of a policy that more serious injuries must be treated first. A first-come, first-serve policy would force more seriously-ill patients to wait while those with less severe symptoms were evaluated first. Final Verdict: Seconds Mean Life and Death

Regardless of who arrives and when, there are certain symptoms which demand immediate attention. Emergency room staff are trained to recognize the symptoms of heart attack, stroke, embolism, aneurysm, and other critical conditions which demand immediate treatment. In those cases, even a few minutes can mean the difference between life and death. It’s critical that anyone presenting with symptoms of an immediate life-threatening condition receive the proper care; when they do not, their injuries or death can become the basis of a medical malpractice claim.

Customer service employee Melanie J. Smith, age 40, began experiencing severe headache, slurred speech, dizziness, and weakness along her right side while visiting her parents on June 15, 2015. Her mother called an ambulance, worried that Melanie was experiencing a stroke, and the ambulance took her to Augusta Health Hospital in Augusta, Virginia. She arrived at the hospital at 10:42 PM, about two hours after the original 9-1-1 call.

Even though Melanie had symptoms consistent with a major stroke, the nurse at the hospital examined her and told her she simply had a complex migraine. She was prescribed migraine medicine and told to wait. Her symptoms did not subside, however, and another nurse finally ordered an MRI at 1:30 AM, more than five hours after the stroke had started. The MRI showed without question that Melanie had experienced an ischemic stroke.

The Mayo Clinic explains the causes of an ischemic stroke:

About 80 percent of strokes are ischemic strokes. Ischemic strokes occur when the arteries to your brain become narrowed or blocked, causing severely reduced blood flow (ischemia). A thrombotic stroke occurs when a blood clot (thrombus) forms in one of the arteries that supply blood to your brain. A clot may be caused by fatty deposits (plaque) that build up in arteries and cause reduced blood flow (atherosclerosis) or other artery conditions.

Despite being warned that Melanie was showing stroke symptoms, the nurse never consulted a neurologist until after the MRI. During a stroke, a patient must receive tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), a lifesaving drug, within 4.5 hours. By the time Melanie received tPA, it was too late; she suffered permanent brain damage and passed away from stroke-related complications four days later

Melanie’s family sued for medical malpractice and wrongful death, arguing that the hospital should have treated her immediately. Experts brought to testify said that if Melanie had received tPA within the first 4.5 hours after the stroke onset, it could have saved her life. Defense attorneys for the hospital tried to argue that Melanie’s symptoms weren’t severe enough to warrant a stroke alert, but the jury didn’t buy it. After five hours of deliberation, they awarded Melanie’s estate with damages in the amount of $3.5 million. If you have a question about a medical malpractice case call an attorney like  Cohen & Cohen today.

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L Proctor
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My experience with Cohen &Cohen was beyond my expectations. Jill did an amazing job with negotiating on my behalf and got me way more money than I anticipated. Thank you for having my back.
Ebony Stoutmiles
June 23, 2022.
To say that I am happy with the outcome of my case is the understatement of the century! Jill Stanley is a BEAST at what she does. That is the only way to explain it. She takes no prisoners. She and her team are very skilled and knowledgeable. I am so happy I trusted them to do their job and rolled with Jill's suggestions. I would choose Jill again 100 times. She settled my case for more than I imagined I would receive. I was literally in tears. It is the best feeling to know my pain isn't for naught. Wayne Cohen and Kristopher Yorke were nothing short of amazing. They have the patience of saints. I'm 100% certain that I got on their last nerves with my frustration and tears at every other call I had with them. Being in pain and wanting to just be able to heal was all I could focus on, but they helped me realize that I also had to focus on the bigger picture (the case) so I could put this piece behind me. As a high-strung individual with anxiety, it was hard for me to not worry and let them do their jobs, but they reassured me all of the time that they had this. To be injured before the start of the pandemic and have to receive regular, weekly treatment while others are able to stay home is anxiety inducing. I was in pain, I was anxious, and I was just hoping it all worked out. It more than worked out. I hope Jill, Siri, and Kris know how much their hard work and "hanging in there" meant to me. I am eternally grateful. I can't recommend you all enough. If you choose this law firm, you won't be sorry!
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COHEN & COHEN ARE THE BEST I WAS INVOLVED IN A REAR END CAR CRASH AND 2 YEARS LATER I HAVE RECEIVED MY SETTLEMENT I AM VERY EXCITED TO SAY BRYAN!!! IS THE MAN HE INSURED THEY WILL TAKE CARE OF ME AND THEY DID 100% ANY QUESTIONS I ASKED THEY WERE ANSWERED. Jill and SIRI WAS ALSO REMARKABLE AND SHOWED THEY REALLY CARED I RECOMMEND COHEN &COHEN TO ANYONE THEY ALSO MADE SURE I GOT MORE THAN EXPECTED WHICH WAS AMAZING I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS THANK U💯
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