Neurological Medical Malpractice
If a doctor made a mistake with your neurological diagnosis or treatment, you could be entitled to compensation from a medical malpractice claim. However, these cases are complex legal matters that require extensive evidence and a thorough understanding of the law.
The malpractice lawyers at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. can review your situation and help you understand whether you have a valid claim. If you do, we can work with medical experts, gather the necessary records, and take the steps needed to strengthen your case.
Contact us today for a free initial consultation to learn more about how we can help.
Get directions to the nearest neurological medical malpractice attorney in Chicago
What Is Neurological Medical Malpractice?
Neurological medical malpractice happens when a doctor, neurologist, or other healthcare provider fails to adhere to the accepted standard of care while treating a condition that affects the brain, spine, or nerves. These conditions include Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and brain tumors. If a provider does not follow accepted practice standards and a patient suffers harm, the error could lead to a malpractice claim.
A malpractice claim could arise if a doctor misses signs of a serious condition, misreads test results, or fails to order needed testing. Some doctors make the right diagnosis but delay treatment or prescribe incorrect medications. These errors can lead to permanent injury, loss of function, or death. Sometimes, the failure to diagnose neurological disorders early enough allows treatable conditions to worsen.
It is worth noting that not every medical mistake counts as malpractice. The key sign of medical malpractice is that a provider failed to take steps in diagnosing or treating a patient that another provider with similar experience would have taken under the circumstances. If a doctor ignores warning signs or fails to take reasonable steps to protect a patient’s health, the patient could have a valid legal claim. These cases usually require strong medical records and expert review.
How Can a Medical Malpractice Attorney Help?
Medical malpractice cases, especially those involving neurological conditions, are extremely difficult to prove. The science behind these cases involves complex systems in the brain, and medical records use technical language that most people do not understand. Even if something looks like it went wrong, it might not be clear if a doctor actually failed to follow appropriate standards of care.
A neurology medical malpractice attorney can help make sense of these issues. They can review your records, determine what happened, and gather evidence that supports your claim. In most cases, this includes obtaining a second opinion from a qualified medical expert. That expert can review your records and explain what your doctor should have done and whether the care you received caused harm.
Lawyers also understand how hospitals and insurance companies work. They can deal with them directly, so you do not have to worry about saying or doing anything that could jeopardize your case. Attorneys can also help you meet deadlines and avoid paperwork mistakes.
Your lawyer can build a strong malpractice case on your behalf by pulling together records, timelines, witness statements, and expert reports. With the right evidence, they can demonstrate that the doctor’s actions fell below accepted standards and led to harm, increasing your chances of winning the case.
Misdiagnosis of ALS
Doctors often misdiagnose ALS because no single test can confirm it. Instead, they must rule out other conditions that look similar. That process takes time and can lead to errors.
Many other conditions share symptoms with ALS. These include multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, myasthenia gravis, Lyme disease, cervical myelopathy, and vitamin B12 deficiency. Tumors and other motor neuron diseases can also cause similar symptoms. Doctors must consider these possibilities before making an ALS diagnosis.
About 10 percent to 15 percent of people who are first told they have ALS actually have another condition, meaning they receive false positive diagnoses. Around 40 percent of people with ALS receive false negative diagnoses, meaning they are first told they have something else.
An ALS misdiagnosis can cause more than just delays — it can lead to real harm. If a doctor fails to order basic tests, ignores signs that point to another condition, or makes a diagnosis without tracking symptom progression, those failures could amount to medical malpractice. Some misdiagnosed patients undergo unnecessary, risky treatments for diseases they do not have. Others miss the chance to manage their ALS appropriately or join clinical trials early.
Correct ALS diagnoses matter, as ALS often worsens over time. If symptoms do not progress or appear on both sides of the body early, doctors should take a second look instead of rushing to judgment.
Neurology Malpractice Cases Involving Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease affects movement and balance due to the loss of nerve cells in the brain. It causes symptoms like tremors, stiffness, slowness, and posture problems. As it progresses, patients might struggle to walk, speak, or eat. Some develop memory loss or mental health issues. Because no single test confirms Parkinson’s, doctors must rely on patients’ medical histories and physical exams to rule out other conditions for a diagnosis.
Doctors sometimes overlook signs of Parkinson’s or confuse it with other disorders. A mistake in diagnosis or treatment could count as malpractice if the doctor ignores clear symptoms or fails to order appropriate testing. Parkinson’s can also look like other conditions, such as multiple system atrophy or Lewy body dementia. These disorders require different care, and when doctors confuse them, patients can receive the wrong treatment and miss opportunities to manage their actual conditions.
Some doctors might also commit malpractice when they fail to explain the risks and benefits of Parkinson’s medications. Others do not adjust medication properly as the disease progresses. These errors can cause serious side effects or leave symptoms untreated.
If doctors do not follow accepted standards in diagnosing or treating Parkinson’s, their mistakes can cause harm to their patients. A Parkinson’s disease misdiagnosis can change how the disease progresses and affect a patient’s quality of life in a major way.
Hire a Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorney
If you believe medical negligence caused your neurological injury, Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. wants to hear your story. We have recovered more than $2.5 billion for our clients to date, and we are ready to discuss your case. Contact us today to arrange your free initial consultation. You pay nothing unless we recover money on your claim.
