Our Monday blog mentioned how medical professionals can rule out or misdiagnose a closed head injury after a negative CT scan. Closed head injuries are the most common cause of brain injuries with falls being the leading cause and car crashes the second leading cause. Nearly 1.5 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) ever year in America, according to the Brain Injury Association of America. Unfortunately, many of these TBI victims receive a missed or misdiagnosis of their head injury that makes the condition even worse.
One of the reasons for a TBI misdiagnosis is that the symptoms are not always visible and a person can appear fine for months after the car accident or slip and fall. There have been reports of doctors giving a car accident victim an “okay” after a car crash, and then the victim developing life threatening symptoms 24-hours later. Some doctors will rely on just one negative CT scan and let the patient walk out the door.
A trained medical professional will conduct a battery of tests in order to rule out a brain injury or closed head injury. Family members can also pay close attention to the victim in the months following a car crash.
If not properly diagnosed, a TBI can increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. If you feel a doctor misdiagnosed you or a loved one, contact our office for a free case review with an experienced medical malpractice lawyer.
Harrell & Nowak, LLC – New Orleans medical malpractice attorneys