Is an Aneurysm Considered a Stroke?

Kornfeld Law Defends Seattle, Kirkland & the Greater Washington Area against Brain Injury Malpractice

Head injuries are always serious, especially when the injury involves internal bleeding. Although aneurysms and strokes both have the potential to be debilitating, they are not the same. An aneurysm is the result of an artery wall that has been weakened, whereas a stroke occurs when blood supply to the brain has been blocked or when there is a ruptured blood vessel in the brain. When someone sustains a major head injury, they rely completely on the abilities of their doctors to diagnose and treat them. Unfortunately, if a doctor or other healthcare professional fails to provide quality care, the patient could suffer for it.

When dealing with cases of medical negligence, Attorney Rob Kornfeld has a special interest in helping individuals injured due to a failure to diagnose intracranial aneurysms (aneurysms in the brain). When Attorney Kornfeld was injured in a serious car accident, he sustained a mild traumatic brain injury, along with several other damages. As a result, he has a personal connection to brain injuries and he understands precisely how damaging these types of injuries can be far better than most.

Was My Brain Aneurysm The Result of Medical Negligence?

During his 38 years in practice, Attorney Rob Kornfeld has handled numerous cases on behalf of patients who suffered catastrophic injuries because of a failure to timely diagnose and treat a brain aneurysm. These cases were caused by the negligence of primary care providers, family physicians, radiologists, and other HMO providers who failed to provide the patient with reliable care. In some cases, the medical staff failed to run the correct diagnostic tests, or they did not run the tests in a timely manner. Whatever the reason, negligent medical care can have a lasting impact on the patient’s brain function, motor skills, mental stability, quality of life, and more. If you were harmed because of someone else’s negligence, Kornfeld Law is prepared to help you seek justice and compensation.

Past Client Success Stories

Jane Doe v. Health Care Center (Superior Court – confidentiality settlement)

In one particular medical malpractice case, Attorney Kornfeld represented a patient who suffered from horrific headaches, nausea, vomiting, blurred and double vision. When she went to the doctor for treatment, she was told by the HMO, her primary care provider, that she had the flu. Over several weeks she returned to her provider’s office five additional times for medical help, and each time they told her the same thing. At no point did the doctors order imaging studies to look at the patient’s brain. Had they done so, they may have tried to rule out an intracranial bleed or subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Unfortunately, each of the healthcare providers the patient visited failed to consider a subarachnoid hemorrhage (sentinel bleed) in the differential diagnosis. When the patient presented with ptosis (droopy eyelid) and double vision (caused by a third nerve palsy), the doctors should have ordered a CT or MRI to identify a potential brain injury. However, because there was no scan, the patient’s aneurysm remained undiagnosed. Eventually, her aneurysm(s) ruptured, causing permanent brain damage.

Jane Doe, Rob Kornfeld’s client, had a posterior communicating and middle cerebral aneurysm, which should have been diagnosed in the differential diagnosis before she suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage. When collecting her medical history, a reasonable provider would have conducted a problem-focused clinical examination and ordered imaging studies. If a basic medical workup had been taken to rule out an aneurysm, this patient could have received treatment for her condition and continued leading a normal life. Unfortunately, due to the doctors’ failure to diagnose her brain aneurysm, Jane Doe sustained a lifelong injury.

Nowadays, brain aneurysms are easily treatable. Through various medical techniques, including coiling, an interventional non-invasive treatment, or surgery, the aneurysm could be treated quickly and without further medical repercussions. Either treatment could enable patients to continue leading their normal lives.

However, Attorney Kornfeld’s injured client in a prime example of medical negligence. She suffered a lifelong disabling injury due to a subarachnoid hemorrhage and stroke because her HMO failed to timely diagnose and treat her aneurysm. Now, Jane doe is unable to live independently and she relies on her children for ongoing care.