What Happens During a Stroke?

A stroke happens when the flow of blood traveling to the brain becomes blocked or bursts. When this occurs the brain no longer gets the necessary oxygen required to survive and within a few minutes, the brain cells begin to die.

When brain cells die or are get damaged, the body can no longer control parts of the body (face, arms, and legs) and can leave the person with paralysis or numbness. The stroke victim might also experience trouble speaking, hearing, or seeing.

A stroke is a serious medical situation that requires immediate attention. If you think you or someone else is having a stroke, call 9–1–1 immediately. Don’t drive to the hospital or have someone else drive you. Ambulance medics can begin life-saving treatment as soon as they arrive at the scene and can continue treatment during the trip to the emergency room. During a stroke, every minute counts.

A stroke can cause lasting brain damage, long-term disability, or even death. A stroke is the No. 1 cause of disability and the No. 4 cause of death in the United States, according to the American Stroke Association.

Types of strokes

There are two main types of strokes: ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic strokes account for 87% of all strokes. An ischemic stroke is caused by an obstruction of blood traveling to the brain.

A hemorrhagic stroke is caused by a weakened blood vessel that ruptures and bleeds into the brain. This is typically referred to as an aneurysm. An aneurysm is like a bubble in a blood vessel that grows until it bursts. This can cause a hemorrhagic stroke.

Symptoms

The sooner a person is treated during a stroke, the better their chances of recovery. The American Stroke Association has developed a new mobile app, called F.A.S.T to identify symptoms. F.A.S.T stands for “If you see Face drooping, Arm weakness or Speech difficulty, it’s Time to call 911.

If you or a loved one is at high risk for a stroke, download the American Heart Association’s new F.A.S.T. mobile app for iPhones and iPads here. An Android version is coming soon. Download here.

In the News

Lately, medical malpractice news regarding chiropractors and strokes have been circulating. Here are some of the latest:

1. In Ada, Oklahoma, 30-year-old Jeremy Youngblood was young, vibrant and attacking life head-on when he died. Linda Youngblood is haunted by the fact that when her son Jeremy went to a chiropractor in Ada, she ended up losing him. The autopsy says Jeremy died of acute cerebellar infarction due to manipulation of the neck. Dr. Bill Kinsinger, President of the Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision, is an outspoken critic of chiropractic therapy. He believes neck manipulation by chiropractors is dangerous and even deadly. “The majority of the strokes happen in the vertebral arteries in the back. The stress on that artery at that segment where it makes that turn against that bone is most susceptible to stroke,” Kinsinger said. The doctor says when a chiropractor adjusts your neck, it can cause a tear in the artery which basically tries to heal with a clot. Full article here.
2. It’s amazing that Elizabeth Caplan is able to simply make coffee. She’s a former nurse who suffered a devastating stroke when she was 44-years-old. Caplan said it happened while she was seeing a chiropractor. Her neck had just been adjusted when something went terribly wrong. Full article here.

If you or a loved one has experienced a stroke due to someone’s negligence, you are entitled to compensation.

If you become ill while on a cruise ship, you may be left wondering if it was a result of negligence on the part of the staff. Falling ill while on a cruise does not mean that the cruise line is responsible. However, if many people become similarly ill, it may be due to negligence.

There are three main ailments that can be attributed to the negligence of cruise ship staff: norovirus, food poisoning and Legionnaire’s Disease. Food poisoning and norovirus are mildly serious, whereas Legionnaire’s Disease can be life-threatening.

Norovirus, also called the stomach flu, can spread by contaminated food and water, as well as by physical contact with someone carrying the virus or something that person has touched. Norovirus is extremely contagious, and also very common. Although cruise ship norovirus outbreaks have been see frequently on the news, you will still need to prove that a cruise ship was negligent in some way in order to hold them responsible for damages after contracting norovirus.

Food poisoning is an ailment that is most often the result of negligence and is not uncommon to cruise ships. If a chef aboard the ship is ill and does not properly wash his or her hands, you may be able to demonstrate negligence on the part of the cruise staff.

Legionnaire’s Disease is a serious and possibly fatal illness. The disease comes from a common bacteria that grows in warm water and thrives in complex plumbing and heating systems like the ones found on cruise ships. The bacteria is killed by hot water, so a cruise ship may be held liable if they inadequately heat their pools and hot tubs.

There are steps you can take to best support your negligence claim against a cruise line. You can ask how many other people on board fell sick, and what their symptoms were. You can find out whether extra precautions were taken in order to protect against illness, and whether the crew made any health announcements or warnings. Check to see how many people are in the ship’s hospital and whether any are in quarantine. Additionally, you can also check to see if the  ship had deviated from its original itinerary. Any information you can collect can be beneficial to your claim.

For more information regarding your rights is you became ill on a cruise ship, contact the West Palm Beach personal injury attorneys from Wolf & Pravato – (800) 428-3476.