Heart Attack Misdiagnosis in Birmingham

$800 Million Recovered. Trial-Ready From Day One.

At Goldasich, Vick, & McCartney, we treat a heart attack misdiagnosis as a catastrophic-injury claim from the start. These cases may involve an incorrect diagnosis, an avoidable delay, or a failure to recognize the heart attack at all. Lost treatment time can leave a patient with permanent heart damage, life-altering complications, or fatal injuries.

Our firm handles major catastrophic injury cases across Alabama and Georgia. We’ve recovered more than $800 million for clients, including over 85 settlements and verdicts of $1 million or more. That record reflects our ability to investigate complex medical evidence and prepare high-stakes claims for trial.

Why Heart Attacks Get Missed in Emergency Rooms

Heart attacks don’t always cause intense chest pain radiating down the left arm. Shortness of breath, nausea, fatigue, and abdominal discomfort can resemble anxiety, indigestion, or a less serious illness. Women, younger patients, and people with diabetes are more likely to present with subtle or atypical symptoms, which can lead providers to underestimate the risk of a cardiac event.

An EKG records the heart’s electrical activity at a single moment in time. A heart attack may not produce a clear abnormality on the initial test, and cardiac enzyme tests can return misleading results depending on when they’re drawn relative to symptom onset. These limitations don’t excuse a missed diagnosis, but they help explain how one happens.

Building a Heart Attack Misdiagnosis Claim

We begin with an independent investigation to determine what happened, when warning signs appeared, and whether earlier intervention could have changed the outcome. The standard of care is the level of treatment a reasonably competent provider in the same field should have delivered under similar circumstances.

Our investigation may involve:

• Record Reconstruction: We gather medical records, imaging studies, laboratory results, test reports, and communications between treating providers.
• Medical Review: We collaborate with qualified medical professionals who can identify the applicable standard of care and explain where a diagnostic failure occurred.
• Trial Preparation: We prepare each case for trial from the outset, building a complete evidentiary record for negotiations with medical malpractice insurers or courtroom presentation.