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Virginia (VA) Medical Malpractice Lawyers
Offices in VA Beach, Hampton & Elizabeth City, NC 
 


Blog Category:

Medical Malpractice/Doctor Mistakes

1/28/2010
Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton
Comments (0)

Missed Heart Disease Diagnosis Led to Fatal Car Accident on Drive From Doctor's Office

On Feb. 11, 2009, a man went to see Orange, Virginia (VA), doctor Amy Cooley, complaining of a three-week case of heartburn and pain and pressure in his chest. Cooley, according to a report in the Fredericksburg Freelance Lance-Star, determined that the man had a blood pressure of 200/100 mm Hg and, despite having prescriptions for high blood pressure medications, was not taking the right steps to control his hypertension.

The man received new prescriptions from Dr. Cooley, heard a lecture on eating healthier and was sent home. Driving home from Cooley's office, the man died in a single-car crash caused in part, the medical examiner determined, his heart condition. In other words, the man had a final heart attack just before crashing, and dying in, his car.

The Virginia Board of Medicine opened a case on Cooley and determined that her actions merited a reprimand and an order to complete 12 hours of emergency and urgent care training.

Classic heart attack symptoms include pressure in the chest, extremely high blood pressure and burning in the chest. That Cooley could miss these signs that the man was having a serious health crisis--especially considering his obvious history of hypertension--seems almost impossible. The disciplinary panel of the medical board might have been justified in going further than reprimanding Cooley. Failure to diagnose and provide appropriate therapy can result in limiting, suspending and revoking a medical license.

Traffic fatalities following medical crises are unfortunately fairly common. That a doctor had a prime opportunity to prevent such a tragedy simply by making a fairly obvious diagnosis and delivering standard care such as ensuring the man was taken to a hospital for emergency treatment, is rare. That the doctor did not make the right interventions is close to unforgivable.

My colleagues and I have represented many patients who have suffered severe consequences from missed and mistaken diagnoses. Doctors are not infallible, of course, but they do have professional, ethical and legal obligations to follow standards of care and identify and relieve patients' problems. If they egregiously fail to meet those obligations, they should face a higher penalty than a reprimand and extra coursework.

EJL

Labels: accident blood pressure car doctor emergency failure to diagnose fatalities Fredericksburg heart attack injury lawyer John C. malpractice medical malpractice misdiagnosis physician symptoms Virginia Beach medical malpractice attorneys


About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a Virginia injury law firm whose attorneys focus on personal injury and accident law and have extensive experience handling medical malpractice and doctor mistake cases. Please take a few moments to review our medical malpractice case results. We have offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, VA, but we're ready to come to you anywhere in Virginia, including Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Newport News and Suffolk, VA, if you've been seriously hurt by the carelessness of a doctor, surgeon, nurse or pharmacist.

Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been recognized as among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. Also, Rick and Jim have been named Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law since 2010. Fewer than 5 percent of lawyers are chosen for this professional honor.

Members of our VA personal injury law firm have also been selected by the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009. In addition, we were the first injury law firm in Virginia to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical and respected law firms. Our VA medical malpractice firm has the highest rating of AV from Martindale-Hubbell, a national lawyer ranking organization, which means we have a reputation for preeminent legal skill.

We offer free special reports on the Top 10 Tips from a Medical Malpractice Insider and the top five surgical errors you must know about. 

While not every injury case meets our criteria, we offer free initial confidential injury case consultation, so call us toll free at (800) 752-0042. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, please leave a voicemail so we can return your call.


Best Virginia Injury Lawyers  Virginia Super Lawyers  





About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a Virginia injury law firm whose attorneys focus on personal injury and accident law and have extensive experience handling medical malpractice and doctor mistake cases. Please take a few moments to review our medical malpractice case results. We have offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, VA, but we're ready to come to you anywhere in Virginia, including Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Newport News and Suffolk, VA, if you've been seriously hurt by the carelessness of a doctor, surgeon, nurse or pharmacist.

Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been recognized as among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. Also, Rick and Jim have been named Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law since 2010. Fewer than 5 percent of lawyers are chosen for this professional honor.

Members of our VA personal injury law firm have also been selected by the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009. In addition, we were the first injury law firm in Virginia to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical and respected law firms. Our VA medical malpractice firm has the highest rating of AV from Martindale-Hubbell, a national lawyer ranking organization, which means we have a reputation for preeminent legal skill.

We offer free special reports on the Top 10 Tips from a Medical Malpractice Insider and the top five surgical errors you must know about. 

While not every injury case meets our criteria, we offer free initial confidential injury case consultation, so call us toll free at (800) 752-0042. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, please leave a voicemail so we can return your call.


Best Virginia Injury Lawyers  Virginia Super Lawyers  




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