Neurologist and practice were found not guilty after patient suffered a stroke 12 days after being diagnosed with BPPV by the neurologist
John Langhenry and Melissa Gordon successfully defendant a medical practice group for a neurologist’s alleged failure to diagnose transient ischemic attacks (TIA’s) and/or perform a stroke work-up and/or start anticoagulation to prevent the stroke suffered by the plaintiff 12 days after being seen by the neurologist. The plaintiff argued that his bouts of dizziness were actually transient ischemic attacks caused by emboli from an asymptomatic DVT that broke off and traveled to plaintiff’s brain through an undiagnosed PFO. The plaintiff argued that if the neurologist had performed a proper evaluation, the PFO would have been discovered and anticoagulation would have been started, which would have prevented the stroke. The defense successfully argued that based upon the history, MRI results and examination, the neurologist properly diagnosed the plaintiff with BPPV and the stroke was unrelated to the symptoms experienced 12 days earlier.