Winnipeg chiropractor's treatments caused patient to suffer stroke, lawsuit alleges

A Winnipeg woman is suing the chiropractor who treated her, claiming he injured her by tearing an artery during treatment and that she suffered a stroke as a result.

The woman had been a patient at Maples Chiropractic on Jefferson Avenue in Winnipeg for some time, and the lawsuit says she had previously indicated she did not want the chiropractor treating or adjusting her neck.

According to the lawsuit, she suffered a "right vertebral artery dissection" — which can mean a tear in one of the major arteries that run along the back of the neck near the spine — as a result of treatment at Maples Chiropractic on May 1, 2023.

"Due to this injury from the treatment, [the plaintiff] suffered a stroke," says the statement of claim, filed late last month in Court of King's Bench at Winnipeg.

The patient was then taken from the chiropractic centre and admitted to hospital at the Health Sciences Centre, the court document says.

It alleges the treatment was unsafe and presented an elevated risk for the patient that was likely to injure her. It also claims Maples Chiropractic failed to have proper facilities and adequate staffing for chiropractic treatment, and failed to give the patient immediate care to minimize the effects of her injury.

The allegations have not been tested in court and statements of defence have not been filed.

CBC is not naming the plaintiff because the statement of claim contains personal health information. 

The lawsuit names as defendants the chiropractor, Gilbert Miranda, and his company, Everybody Health Inc., which operates Maples Chiropractic. 

CBC reached out to the chiropractor's office for comment from Miranda on the lawsuit but did not receive a response prior to publication. 

The lawyer for the plaintiff declined to comment on the case. 

Failed to warn of risks: lawsuit

The lawsuit says the woman has suffered headaches, migraines and weakness as a result of the chiropractic care, and has resulting expenses and loss of income.

The claim says she will need ongoing therapy, psychological treatment and medical attention.

It seeks an unspecified amount in damages for the patient's alleged pain and suffering, loss of income and loss of enjoyment of life.

The chiropractor failed to warn the patient about the risks associated with the chiropractic treatment, "specifically failing to warn her that a stroke could occur from the treatment or from any injury caused by the treatment," the claim says. 

It also says the chiropractor was negligent for not obtaining informed consent from the plaintiff about the treatment in general, and specifically for the treatment that allegedly resulted in injury.

The Manitoba Chiropractors Association regulates the profession in this province and has a list of chiropractors who are members in good standing on its website, updated as of April 2025. It includes Gilbert Miranda as a member in good standing.