As with all stories, there are two sides. I’m not sure what to make of this.

LOS ANGELES — Amelia Mendoza’s last words to her husband were that she was afraid she would be fired for reporting that she had been assaulted at her hospital nursing job.

Moments later, she had a massive hemorrhagic stroke that has left her in a vegetative state and in a health care limbo because of a dispute over her coverage.

What happened?

Amelia Mendoza, 52, was struck in the face, head and neck by a violent patient while working as a certified nurse assistant at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, attorney Russell Glauber said. She is not expected to recover from her April 20 collapse.

Claims for her care have been denied by her insurer, Blue Cross, and by workers’ compensation, Glauber said. He is appealing Mendoza’s workers compensation denial and calling on the state board to expedite its response.

At issue here is whether the assault caused the stroke.

Glauber said Mendoza was attacked on April 14 and 16 but was told to make an appointment at an in-house workers compensation clinic at Huntington hospital on April 20.

Why did she wait so many days before seeking medical help?

An April 20 note in Mendoza’s medical records says she was “in her usual state of health until about a week ago when she was bitten at work and had increased anxiety about her work injury.”

The records also note that Mendoza had developed high blood pressure since the incidents.

Dr. Arthur E. Lipper, who was hired by Glauber, has examined Mendoza’s medical records and said he believes the stroke was a result of Mendoza’s workplace injury.

“Whatever conspired to cause her to have her stroke, clearly at least in part transpired after and because she was bitten, hit in the head and neck,” Lipper said. “She was agitated because of it, and then she stroked.

Not quite true, but it makes for a good headline. I feel terrible for her, but her family, lawyers and others need to be honest and realistic with this. Strokes happen all the time without any “warnings”- and “stress” is not a factor. Read the facts about stroke, HERE, and keep them in mind when forming an opinion on this article.

The main point to this article is the denial of medical care payment- the worker comp people are saying the assault did not cause the stroke; the health insurance people are probably waiting for the worker comp report and will take over the case once it’s released.