 The
Brown & Crouppen law firm helps clients secure
compensation for losses caused by healthcare provider
negligence. Our skills, credentials and resources have
helped thousands of clients win millions of dollars from
medical malpractice cases. If you, or a loved one, have
suffered bacterial (or spinal) meningitis, and there was
a delayed diagnosis, we may be able to recover money for
you.
Meningitis, also called
spinal meningitis, is an inflammation of the lining of
the brain. Meningitis is almost always caused by a
bacterial or viral infection of the spinal fluid.
Between 10,000 and 25,000 children contract bacterial
meningitis each year, and the disease can kill an infant
in 24 hours if left untreated.
It’s important to know
whether a particular case of meningitis results from a
virus or a bacterium because of the differences in the
seriousness of the illnesses, and the treatment needed.
Bacterial meningitis. The
bacterial form of meningitis is an extremely serious
illness that requires immediate medical care. If not
treated quickly, it can lead to death within hours or to
permanent brain damage in about 30 percent of people.
Delayed diagnosis and treatment of bacterial meningitis
is the most common form of meningitis malpractice claim.
Bacterial meningitis is caused by any one of several
bacteria, including Group B strep (in newborns),
Hemophilus influenzae type b (in babies), meningococcus
(mostly in young adults) and pneumococcus (the most
common for adults). Together, these four bacteria
account for over 80% of bacterial meningitis cases in
the U.S.
Viral meningitis. Though
more common, people with viral meningitis are much less
likely to have permanent brain damage. Also, because
antibiotics cannot treat viral meningitis, very few
malpractice cases involve viral meningitis. Viral
meningitis is usually relatively mild. It clears up
within a week or two without specific treatment.
Bacterial meningitis
symptoms can mimic flu symptoms, and unless competent
medical professionals confirm the diagnosis by ordering
a lumbar puncture – also known as a spinal tap –
children, especially infants, could suffer brain damage,
coma, hearing loss, mental retardation, paralysis,
seizures and death. Almost 500 people, mostly children,
die from bacterial meningitis each year.
If aggressively treated,
the disease is curable with powerful antibiotics. A
doctor’s delay or failure to diagnose and properly
treat meningitis could result in malpractice liability.
If you believe that you
or a family member have suffered injury or you believe a
family member has dies as the result of a physician's
failure to properly diagnose or treat bacterial
meningitis, call Brown & Crouppen, at Toll Free:
866-991-4700
or contact us via e-mail to determine whether you might
have a viable medical malpractice claim. Our attorneys
will evaluate your case free of charge. Please keep in
mind that there may be time limits within which you must
commence suit.
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