When most New Haven residents seek medical help, they trust the medical personnel to ensure that proper care is given. A lot of trust is bestowed upon doctors, but what happens when doctors make negligent errors which injure their patients? One woman has found the answer to this question the hard way when her daughter was allegedly left brain damaged after a misdiagnosis by a pediatrician.

The girl’s family has filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the New England pediatrician who allegedly failed to properly diagnose the girl with meningitis. The family claims the misdiagnosis has left the girl brain damaged.

The initial diagnosis from the pediatrician was that the girl was suffering from allergies. The mother claims that when she asked if the cause of the symptoms could be meningitis, the pediatrician said it was ruled out and that no tests were necessary. Two days later, the mother found her daughter having a seizure. Upon taking her to the hospital, doctors detected meningitis, which caused the girl to suffer a stroke and later fell into a three-week coma. When the girl awoke, doctors discovered serious brain damage and determined that she may never be able to function above a child’s level.

Meningitis is a type of inflammation of the brain that if left untreated can result in serious brain damage or death. If the jury concludes the pediatrician’s failure to diagnose was due to negligence, the family will be entitled to compensation.

The road to recovery after brain injuries is often long and expensive. A medical malpractice award may help this family cope financially with their daughter’s need for lifelong care.

Source: Lowell Sun, “Lowell medical malpractice trial set to begin,” Feb. 27, 2013