Meningitis - Miami Misdiagnosis Lawyer: Sean M. Cleary

Types of Meningitis Misdiagnosis Cases Attorney Sean M. Cleary Handles

We represent victims and families who have suffered catastrophic losses due to medical negligence in diagnosing meningitis. Over 25 years of legal experience have allowed our attorney Sean M. Cleary to understand the complex medical and legal issues involved in these cases and to work tirelessly to hold negligent healthcare providers accountable.

• Misdiagnosed as a common viral illness: The most prevalent error occurs when physicians dismiss bacterial meningitis as a simple viral infection, flu, or upper respiratory infection. Research examining community-acquired bacterial meningitis found that "febrile and/or viral infections" were the most common initial misdiagnoses. Patients presenting with fever, headache, nausea, and fatigue are frequently told they have a virus and instructed to rest at home, while the actual bacterial infection continues spreading through their central nervous system.
• Failure to perform or delay in ordering a lumbar puncture: Meningitis is diagnosed by lumbar puncture or spinal tap. Physicians fail to order this test despite clear warning signs or delay it unnecessarily. Some doctors insist on brain imaging first, which delays both diagnosis and treatment. Then there are those who never consider meningitis as a diagnostic possibility at all.
• Attributing symptoms solely to ear infections: In pediatric cases, otitis media is often diagnosed as the primary diagnosis when meningitis is concurrently present. While ear infections can occur alongside meningitis or even lead to it, healthcare providers who treat only the ear infection while missing the more serious condition put patients in grave danger.
• Failing to recognize atypical presentations in children: The classic symptoms of meningitis do not always appear in infants and young children. Nonspecific signs may include poor feeding, excessive crying, unusual sleepiness, irritability, vomiting, or a bulging soft spot on the head. If not detected in time, meningitis can permanently damage the brain and spinal cord.
• Misinterpreting diagnostic test results: Early bacterial infections require clinical correlations and follow-up tests despite minimal abnormalities on initial testing. The absence of a complete clinical picture can lead healthcare providers to incorrectly rule out meningitis based solely on negative initial test results.
• Sending patients home after multiple emergency visits: Some of the most tragic cases involve patients who seek care repeatedly, presenting to emergency departments or urgent care centers multiple times with worsening symptoms, only to be sent home each time with misdiagnoses. When delays span days rather than hours, these cases often have the worst outcomes.

Many healthcare providers may be held liable for misdiagnosis of meningitis, including emergency room physicians, pediatricians, family physicians, urgent care providers, hospitalists, infectious disease specialists, radiologists, laboratory technicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants.

Recovering Compensation After Meningitis Misdiagnosis

The families of patients with meningitis who were misdiagnosed deserve full compensation for their losses. In light of this, we intend to seek compensation for:

• All past, current, and future medical expenses
• Hospital stays, surgeries, and emergency care costs
• Rehabilitation, physical therapy, and occupational therapy
• Medications, medical equipment, and assistive devices
• In-home nursing care or assisted living facility expenses
• Lost wages and loss of earning capacity
• Pain, suffering, and emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment of life and quality of life
• Loss of consortium for spouses
• Funeral and burial expenses in wrongful death cases
• Punitive damages when gross negligence is proven

Life-Altering Consequences for Victims of Meningitis Misdiagnosis

Misdiagnosis of meningitis can have devastating long-term effects. Survivors may suffer permanent brain damage, complete or partial hearing loss, chronic seizure disorders, vision impairment, intellectual disabilities, memory problems, paralysis, kidney failure requiring dialysis, and, in severe cases, limb amputations due to septic complications. For most victims, round-the-clock care is required for the rest of their lives, resulting in loss of independence and the inability to work or enjoy typical activities.

There is a tremendous emotional and financial burden on families. Grief and trauma are unimaginable for parents who lose children to preventable meningitis misdiagnosis. A person caring for a permanently disabled loved one has to reorganize their entire life around their responsibilities. It can lead to depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and strained relationships among family members. When medical bills accumulate, family members may have to reduce their work hours or quit their jobs entirely to provide care.