Fronzuto Law Group’s team of highly experienced medical malpractice lawyers represents victims who sustain injuries as a result of negligent prenatal care in New Jersey. One such client whom we are currently representing suffered a severe brain hemorrhage after doctors failed to diagnose her high blood pressure during pregnancy.
The victim in this case was in the care of several doctors at the same local practice for obstetrical, gynecological, and prenatal care throughout her pregnancy. Over the course of her pregnancy, she experienced a variety of symptoms such as elevated blood pressure and edema (also known as swelling). Despite seeking help from her doctors for these medical complaints, she was consistently sent home without diagnosis or treatment.
After the woman was emergently rushed to a medical center with altered mental status, she was diagnosed with preeclampsia, a serious medical condition affecting a small percentage of pregnant women. Preeclampsia occurs when a pregnant woman has rapid increases in blood pressure, or hypertension. Some women also experience a build up of protein in the urine known as proteinuria.
It is absolutely essential for doctors to diagnose to diagnose maternal hypertension as soon as possible, and to immediately determine the appropriate course of treatment. A missed diagnosis of preeclampsia may lead to death or serious complications, including brain hemorrhage, seizures, and organ failure.
In this case, a CT scan of the victim’s brain revealed that she had suffered and an intracerebral hemorrhage. She was intubated and subsequently transferred to another hospital for emergency brain surgery, as well as a C-section. She remained in a medically-induced coma and on a ventilator for the majority of her hospital stay.
Due to her undiagnosed preeclampsia, the victim experienced a host of severe complications, including a hemorrhagic stroke, acute respiratory failure, swelling of the brain, excessive pressure on the walls of the arteries (arterial hypertension), and anemia due to blood loss. She is also forced to live with a host of impairments for the rest of her life. As with many injuries involving brain damage, her stroke caused permanent language processing issues, difficulty swallowing, problems with mobility, weakness on the right side of her body, a seizure disorder, as well as bowel and bladder dysfunction.
Missed Diagnosis during Pregnancy in New Jersey
This case serves as a tragic example of what can go wrong when doctors are negligent providing prenatal care. Consistently monitoring a pregnant woman and her developing baby is absolutely critical to prevent conditions like preeclampsia from going undiagnosed. By allowing a condition like maternal hypertension to progress without proper treatment, physicians put the mother’s life and that of her child at risk. Simple blood and urine tests throughout pregnancy can indicate symptoms of preeclampsia, which can be effectively managed for a successful pregnancy, labor, and delivery.
Sadly, the catastrophic consequences of medical malpractice during one of the most important periods of your life can alter the course of your life forever. When negligent prenatal care causes harm to you or someone you love, the attorneys at Fronzuto Law Group are here to fight for the justice you deserve. Our firm concentrates on medical malpractice, representing victims of prenatal and neonatal negligence throughout New Jersey. Our passion is standing for victims and their families, recovering maximum compensation, and holding medical professionals accountable for the suffering they cause. For a free consultation about your potential legal claim, contact us online or call (973)-435-4551 today.
