Locked-in syndrome (LIS) is one of the most profound neurological conditions a family can face. It is also one of the most misunderstood. Many families spend their first days at the bedside, uncertain whether their loved one is conscious, not realizing their loved one has been hearing every word from the moment they arrived at the hospital.
What comes next is a long road. One that involves caregiving, new communication systems, specialized equipment, and a complete reorganization of daily life. Our role, if you choose to work with us, is to support you and to secure the resources that make that road more manageable. If you’d like to talk, we offer a free, no-pressure consultation. There is no obligation to proceed.
How Locked-In Syndrome Affects Victims and Their Families for Decades
Locked-in syndrome (LIS) occurs when damage to the pons in the brainstem, the narrow structure connecting the brain to the spinal cord, disrupts the brain’s ability to send movement signals to the body. In most cases, that damage is caused by a stroke. The result is near-total paralysis: the patient cannot move their limbs, control their face, or speak.
What remains fully intact is awareness. Patients with LIS can think, feel, remember, and understand everything happening around them. Many communicate through deliberate eye movement or blinking. They are not in a coma. They are not unresponsive. They are present and awake, but they are also dependent on others for every physical need.
For most patients, that dependency is lifelong. Feeding, repositioning, hygiene, respiratory support, and around-the-clock monitoring are not occasional requirements; they are daily realities. The care is specialized, intensive, and expensive.
What LIS Care Actually Costs
The following estimates reflect current long-term care costs and are intended to help families understand the financial scope of what lies ahead.
| Type of Care | Estimated Cost in Washington |
| Private duty nurse (hourly rate) | $73/hour |
| Private duty nurse (visit rate) | $250/visit |
| Long-term care facility, e.g., nursing home (semi-private room) | $13,100/month |
| Long-term care facility, e.g., nursing home (private room) | $15,900/month |
Source: Genworth
These figures capture only part of the picture. They do not include specialized communication technology, such as eye-tracking devices and speech-generating systems, that can cost tens of thousands of dollars. They do not account for home modifications such as ramps, widened doorways, and accessible bathrooms. They do not reflect lost income when a family member reduces hours or leaves work entirely to provide care. And they say nothing about the emotional weight carried by everyone in the household.
A legal recovery is not about blame. It is about making sure your loved one has access to the care, technology, and support that allow for a meaningful life.
Our Process
We guide you through every step with clear communication and compassionate support.
Free Consultation
Call us anytime to discuss your case. We listen carefully and answer all your questions with no obligation.
Medical Review
Our team conducts a thorough investigation with qualified medical experts to determine if malpractice occurred.
Legal Action
If we find evidence of negligence, we build a strong case and handle all legal aspects on your behalf.
Secure Recovery
We fight to secure the financial resources your family needs for long-term care and peace of mind.
Your Options If Locked-in Syndrome Resulted from Medical Negligence
Not every case of locked-in syndrome involves a medical error. Strokes can cause devastating outcomes even when diagnosis and treatment are handled appropriately.
But sometimes the outcome is shaped by what did not happen or did not happen quickly enough.
How Medical Negligence Can Allow Locked-in Syndrome to Happen
Stroke is the most common cause of LIS, and stroke care is acutely time-sensitive. When blood flow to the brainstem is interrupted, every minute without treatment causes further damage. Treatments exist, including clot-dissolving medication and procedures to remove blockages, but they must be administered within a narrow window. Once that window closes, the opportunity is gone.
Each state has a DIDO score, which measures how long it takes to transfer a patient from a non-capable emergency room to one that can give them comprehensive stroke care. The DIDO (door-in-door-out) guideline is less than two hours. Washington’s median DIDO score for ischemic stroke eligible for endovascular therapy is 119 to 125 minutes. The state’s average DIDO score for other acute ischemic stroke is 217 to 258 minutes.
Medical negligence in LIS cases often involves a failure to act within that window. Examples of medical negligence that could result in locked-in syndrome include:
- A patient arrives with sudden dizziness, double vision, or slurred speech and is sent home with a diagnosis of migraine or vertigo.
- Imaging that might have identified the stroke is not ordered or is misread, resulting in a failure to diagnose.
- A neurology consultation is delayed.
- Transfer to a facility equipped for stroke intervention is not arranged in time.
In each of these scenarios, the underlying condition progresses while critical time is lost.
Other failures can occur after the acute phase. Patients with LIS are sometimes mistaken for unconscious or unresponsive when they are fully aware. Family members often recognize signs of consciousness, such as consistent blinking and deliberate eye movement in response to questions, before the medical team does. When those observations are dismissed, it compounds an already devastating situation.
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What to Expect from a Legal Review
Many families are uncertain what reaching out to a lawyer actually means. A legal review and a legal action are two separate things. You can have one without committing to the other.
A legal review begins with a conversation. We listen to what happened: what you observed, what you were told, and what questions you are still carrying. From there, we gather the complete medical record, including emergency room notes, imaging studies, nursing documentation, and discharge records. We work with qualified independent medical experts who evaluate whether the care provided followed accepted standards and what the future will require.
If the review supports a finding of negligence, we will explain that clearly and walk you through your options. If it does not, we will tell you that honestly. Our goal is clarity, not litigation for its own sake.
You are in control throughout. Nothing about a consultation or a review obligates you to proceed further. The decision belongs entirely to your family.
Why Washington Families Trust Us to Fight for Them
Families who come to us are not looking for a transaction. They are looking for someone who will take the time to understand what they are living through and fight seriously for what their loved one needs.
We limit the number of cases we take because this work requires close attention. You work directly with your attorney, not through a paralegal or legal assistant. We take the time to understand the full scope of your family’s situation: the medical picture, the caregiving demands, the financial pressures, and what a fair outcome would actually make possible.
What a settlement or verdict can cover includes:
- Lifelong care and supervision
- Assistive communication technology
- Home modifications
- Lost income for both patient and caregiver
- Pain and suffering
Affording a Locked-In Syndrome Lawyer in Washington
There is no upfront cost to work with us. We charge nothing unless and until we recover compensation on your behalf.
We know that a locked-in syndrome diagnosis brings immediate and sustained financial pressure. Legal help should not add to that burden. That is why we operate on contingency; you pay only if we win, and your initial consultation is always free.
We’re Ready Whenever You Are
If you are still in the early days of this diagnosis, or if you have been carrying unanswered questions for months, Newsome Law is here to listen.
You do not need to have everything organized. You do not need to have reached a conclusion about what happened. You only need to be willing to have a conversation.
Our consultations are free, confidential, and without any pressure to move forward.
What Our Clients Say
Real stories from families we've helped through difficult times.
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