Medical Malpractice Lawyers

Coma Misdiagnosis and Consulting a Brain Injury Attorney Cleveland

If your loved one has been the victim of a brain injury and lies in a coma, the good news is they might not be as unresponsive as they appear. Rom Houben was paralyzed in 1983. Doctors incorrectly diagnosed that he was in a deep coma and assumed he was unconscious the whole time. Only a reevaluation of his case in 2009 revealed that he was actually fully awake and aware of what was going on around him. He spent over 23 years trapped in a state of isolation because the world assumed he was entirely unconscious. Ask any brain injury attorney Cleveland. His case is far from uncommon. As new technologies make it possible for people in near coma like states to communicate, the medical world is realizing that many people diagnosed with comas area actually quite conscious and capable of leading engaging lives in the future.

Mr. Houben describes the day he was able to communicate successfully again with doctors as “his second birth.” His example is just more proof that we should never give up on people afflicted with brain injuries who have slipped into comas. A study in 2009 by top neurological expert Dr Steven Laureys reveals that coma misdiagnosis can be surprisingly common. If your friend or family member lives in a comatose state, it is crucial you have them evaluated properly. In today’s healthcare system, that can be difficult to do, as insurance companies often don’t want to pay for it. It is critical that you work with a brain injury attorney Cleveland to ensure a proper diagnosis for the sake of your loved one and their long term care.