Meningitis

Failure to diagnose and treat meningitis

Meningitis (swelling of the lining around the brain and spinal cord) and septicemia (blood poisoning) can kill in hours or result in permanent paralysis, blindness, brain injury, or a coma. Bacterial and fungal meningitis and many forms of septicemia respond well to early treatment (unlike viral meningitis). Therefore early and accurate diagnosis is critical. Unfortunately, misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose is common in adults, since meningitis is often incorrectly considered a disease of infants and children.

If you or a member of your family was seriously injured as a result of a doctor's failure to note the symptoms, perform the proper tests, and diagnose meningitis in time to treat it successfully, you deserve to know exactly what happened. If you would like to speak with an attorney from Michels & Watkins, our Los Angeles personal injury firm, please contact our office and arrange a free medical/legal consultation.

Bradford S. Davis, M.D., head of our medical team, will work with our lawyers to determine whether the injury or death could have been prevented. The attorneys will explain whether medical malpractice was responsible for your loss and what your options are.

Meningitis that can be treated

Bacterial meningitis includes many types, including meningococcal and pneumococcal. Neonatal meningitis often results from untreated maternal Group B Streptococcal (GBS) and E Coli. Listeria meningitis affects primarily infants, the elderly, and those with immune deficiencies.

Symptoms of meningitis include fever, vomiting, rash, stiff neck, dislike of bright lights, sleepy, confused, and seizures. Symptoms of septicemia include those and also joint and muscle pain, chills, and pale skin.

Verdicts and settlements:

Our attorneys recovered 2.75 million dollars in a meningitis case. A twelve-year old girl went in multiple times with symptoms of meningitis. The doctor never ordered a lumbar puncture or followed up. Our client became extremely ill and suffered permanent injury.

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Did the meningitis result from medical malpractice? Contact our LA office and arrange a free medical consultation. At Michels & Watkins our medical staff, led by Bradford S. Davis, M.D., will help you find out what went wrong. If a member of your family was injured as a result of negligence, our attorneys will hold those responsible accountable. Our Los Angeles firm serves clients throughout California and surrounding states. Our staff and our lawyers provide far more than legal services, giving a client the support necessary to survive in the aftermath of a tragic medical accident.