Can You Sue for a Doctor’s Failure to Treat Blood Clots?

When doctors misdiagnose and fail to promptly treat blood clots, patients could suffer fatal injuries. Victims or their loved ones may be able to file a blood clot lawsuit to secure compensation for additional medical care, pain and suffering or wrongful death damages if their loved one passed away from untreated clots.

In this blog, The Law Offices of Peter T. Nicholl discusses the types of blood clots, the dangers of this condition, how doctors can diagnose clots and why this condition may go undiagnosed.

We understand the severity injuries can have on your life. For over three decades, our Maryland medical malpractice lawyers have advocated for medical malpractice victims, recovering millions for victims.

If you or a loved one were injured by untreated blood clots in Maryland, you may be eligible for compensation. Our experienced legal team does not charge upfront fees and offers a free initial consultation.

Schedule your FREE no-obligation consultation with us. Call 410-297-0271.

What is a Blood Clot?

A blood clot is a gel-like mass of blood that forms when platelets and fibrin proteins coagulate. Clotting is a normal biological process meant to stop bleeding from injuries.

However, the body sometimes forms clots inside blood vessels. If these clots do not dissolve on their own, they can block blood flow, possibly causing strokes or heart attacks. These abnormal clots can be caused by prolonged immobility, medical conditions or genetic factors.

What Are the Symptoms of a Blood Clot?

Blood clot symptoms can vary depending on the site of the clot. Common symptoms may include:

• Fainting
• Chest pain or discomfort
• Rapid or irregular heartbeat
• Sudden, severe headache
• Pain or tenderness in the affected area
• Swelling, often in one arm or leg
• Skin that feels warm to the touch
• Redness or discoloration of the skin
• Unexplained shortness of breath
• Sudden cough, sometimes with bloody mucus
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Difficulty speaking or understanding speech
• Vision problems in one or both eyes
• Numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body

If you experience any of these symptoms, you need immediate medical attention to prevent severe, possibly life-threatening complications.

What Are the Dangers of Blood Clots?

Untreated blood clots can cause life-threatening medical issues, including:

• Stroke
• Heart attack
• Blocking pulmonary arteries when the clot travels to the lungs
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Damage to internal organs, include organ failure
• Limb ischemia, which can destroy tissues

What Are the Types of Blood Clots?

There are two main categories of blood clots:

• Arterial Clots: These form in arteries and can cause heart attacks or strokes.
• Venous Clots: These clots are in the veins. The two main types include deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). DVT typically forms in the legs, while PE occurs when a clot travels to the lungs. DVT typically causes swelling, warmth and tenderness in the affected area. PE usually comes with sharp pain in the chest, shortness of breath and elevated heart rate. Superficial thrombophlebitis is a less severe type affecting surface veins. Embolisms are clots that break free and travel through the bloodstream, potentially lodging in vital organs.

How Do Doctors Diagnose Blood Clots?

When a patient presents symptoms of a blood clot, doctors have a few methods for making an accurate diagnosis.

• Physical exam and review of the patient’s medical record to discover risk factors, such as prior illnesses, recent surgeries or medical treatments that could explain a blood clot
• Ultrasound to diagnose DVT – the machine uses sound waves to visualize blood flow and discover clots
• D-dimer blood tests measure the substance released when a clot breaks up.
• Compression ultrasonography visualizes leg veins and can detect DVT.
• CT pulmonary angiography generates detailed images of the lung arteries.
• CT or MRI scans can detect clots in the brain blood vessels or deep veins.
• A ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scan helps diagnose blood clots in deep veins by comparing air distribution and blood flow patterns.
• Electrocardiograms and cardiac enzyme tests could detect arterial clots that increase the risk of a stroke or heart attack.
• Venography or arteriography can be used to detect complex clots. Doctors inject contrast and take X-rays of the area to visualize blood vessels.

Doctors are responsible for understanding and accurately interpreting test results to identify blood clots and beginning appropriate treatment.

Why Are Blood Clots Misdiagnosed?

Typically, blood clots are left untreated because the patient’s doctor failed to diagnose them, which happens for a variety of reasons:

Doctors Think Another Condition Explains Your Symptoms

Healthcare providers could misinterpret the signs of a blood clot for other conditions. For instance, symptoms such as swelling, pain, redness, muscle injuries or varicose veins could be misinterpreted for muscle strains or an infection.

Failure to Obtain a Complete and Accurate Medical History

Your symptoms combined with your medical history may point to blood clots. However, doctors need to obtain a complete and accurate medical history.

Sometimes doctors cannot obtain all your medical records, or the patient does not have much of a record because he or she does not have regular access to healthcare. That is why doctors need to know what questions to ask to identify risk factors for blood clots. For example, doctors may discover previous clotting events or a genetic predisposition to clots.

Insufficient Diagnostic Testing

Doctors may miss a clot if they do not perform the appropriate tests. Sometimes it may take more than one test to find a clot.

When doctors choose not to use specific tests like Doppler ultrasounds or D-dimer assessments, they may overlook conditions such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism in their early, more treatable stages.

Failure to Consult Specialists

General practitioners may not always have the necessary expertise to detect blood clots. If a generalist does not refer a patient with potential clotting symptoms to a hematologist or other specialist, a patient could go a long time without getting a diagnosis.

Time Constraints and Workload

Healthcare providers are often under significant pressure to treat a lot of patients, which can contribute to diagnostic errors. Rushed consultations can cause doctors to miss details or symptoms, making it harder to diagnose blood clots.

Misinterpretation of Diagnostic Results

Misreading or misunderstanding test results can result in an incorrect diagnosis.

When Can You File a Blood Clot Lawsuit Over Misdiagnosis?

If you were injured by a blood clot that doctors failed to diagnose, you may have a medical malpractice case. You would need to show your doctor failed to uphold the standard of care for the situation. In other words, the doctor needed to perform as other similarly situated medical professionals would have.

For instance, if you have proof that a doctor failed to order necessary tests when you showed symptoms of DVT, it could suggest the doctor did not meet the standard of care.

Proving blood clot misdiagnosis is a challenge, which is why you need an experienced law firm to build your case. We have the depth of knowledge to determine if you may have a case and the resources to obtain the information we need, including medical records and the history of the doctors who treated you.

We also have access to the right medical experts to determine what doctors should have done, how they deviated from the standard of care, and why this caused your injuries or worsening medical condition.

Consult an Experienced Lawyer About Your Untreated Blood Clot Injuries

If you or a loved one has suffered injuries due to untreated blood clots, you can reach out to our firm to determine your possible legal options. We have a proven track record in Maryland medical malpractice cases.

We guide our clients through a challenging time in their lives, advocating for full compensation for economic and non-economic damages. There are no upfront fees with our services, so there is no financial risk to you.

Call us today for legal assistance: 410-297-0271.