Failure to Diagnose Vertebral Artery Dissection Leads to Stroke

A 39 year old Arizona man recently was awarded $6.3 million after suffering a massive stroke resulting in severe brain damage, vision loss and difficulties walking and speaking.

The Plaintiff, a 39 year old wrestling coach, began experiencing dizziness, neck pain, blurred vision and nausea at practice. He was transferred to Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix. He underwent a CT scan without contrast as part of a stroke work up. That study was negative. The next day he was discharged with a diagnosis of benign positional vertigo. On the way home from the hospital, he suffered a massive stroke. He sued Banner alleging that its doctors failed to include vertebral artery dissection in the differential diagnosis. He claimed that CT scan with contrast would have showed the dissection (whereas the one without the contrast did not) and he would have been prescribed Heparin to avoid a stroke. The plaintiff also alleged the doctors at the second facility failed to review the records from the first facility, and had they done the same, they would have ordered a CT scan with contrast.

The plaintiff now requires 24 hour care and will for the rest of his life.

At STSW, our office has successfully handled a number of cases involving a failure to timely diagnose a condition via CT scan or other radiological study that ultimately results in serious harm or death to a patient. If you or a loved one in the Baltimore or Washington D.C. area have been victimized in this fashion, call our team for a free consultation at (410) 385-2225.