What Happens When You Call
People sometimes assume that calling a lawyer means committing to a lawsuit. It doesn’t. The first step is a conversation, and the only goal of that conversation is to understand what happened.
We Learn More About Your Experience
We’ll ask you to walk us through the timeline as you know it: when symptoms started, what the emergency department saw, what the emergency department staff said, what tests were ordered or not ordered, and when a stroke was finally identified.
We Have an Independent Expert Review All Documentation
From there, we gather the medical records and imaging files directly.
Those records go to independent medical experts, i.e., physicians who practice in emergency medicine, neurology, and stroke care, for a structured review. What they’re examining is not whether the outcome was tragic (strokes often are, regardless of the care provided) but whether the care your loved one received measured up to what a qualified provider should have done in that situation.
That benchmark is called the standard of care. It’s not a perfect care standard; it’s a reasonable care standard.
We Tell You the Results of the Review
Sometimes the review concludes that providers acted appropriately despite a devastating result. That conclusion has real value. Families who’ve spent months wondering if something was missed can move forward knowing the answer is no. That clarity matters.
When the review does identify a departure, such as a failure to image, a premature discharge, or a misread presentation, you’ll know that too, and you’ll be in a position to decide what to do with that information.
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.
How Strokes Get Missed, and Why It Happens More Than It Should
Strokes don’t always look the same. That’s not an excuse for the medical system; it’s the reality that qualified providers are trained to navigate. The problem is that the training doesn’t always translate into practice, and the consequences for patients when it doesn’t can be permanent.
There are patterns we see repeatedly in these cases.
- Early discharge. Patients may be sent home with a diagnosis of vertigo, anxiety, or dehydration, who return hours or days later in far worse condition. The second visit often involves a stroke that was already underway during the first.
- Failure to escalate. Not every emergency physician is a stroke specialist. The standard of care, in many situations, includes consulting neurology. When that consultation doesn’t happen, and a stroke goes unrecognized, that failure matters.
- Symptoms attributed to something else. Dizziness, confusion, speech changes, and one-sided weakness overlap with a range of conditions, such as inner ear problems, migraines, low blood sugar, and psychiatric episodes. When providers anchor on a simpler diagnosis without ruling out stroke, that failure can cost the patient hours they didn’t have.
- Brainstem and posterior circulation strokes. These strokes affect the back of the brain and frequently don’t follow the classic presentation. They may produce vertigo, double vision, coordination problems, or difficulty swallowing without the face droop or arm weakness that many providers are trained to look for. Posterior strokes are disproportionately represented in misdiagnosis cases.
- Imaging that didn’t happen. In time-sensitive stroke care, imaging is not optional. CT scans and MRI are the tools that confirm or rule out a stroke, and the decision to skip or delay them is one of the most common points of failure we see in medical records.
Alaska’s Transfer Times Put These Gaps in Context
Geography shapes stroke outcomes in Alaska in ways that families here understand intuitively, but the numbers are worth stating plainly.
According to data from JAMA, Alaska’s median door-in-door-out time—the time from a patient arriving at one hospital to leaving for a higher-level facility—is:
- 126 to 131 minutes for acute ischemic stroke patients eligible for endovascular therapy, and
- 217 to 258 minutes for other acute ischemic stroke patients
These figures represent the window between arrival and transfer, before a patient has even reached the facility where definitive treatment can be delivered. It’s also important to note that some Alaskans may need to travel for hours to get to a comprehensive stroke center.
When a misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis adds time on top of an already compressed transfer window, the question of what could have been different is not hypothetical. It’s specific and answerable.
Talk To Our Legal Team Today
We’re here to answer your questions and help you understand your options.
Schedule a Free Consultation
If the Review Finds Something Went Wrong with Your Loved One’s Care
If the review finds that care fell short, the path forward becomes a bit clearer. What you do with that information is entirely your decision. Some families find that confirmation of a failure, on its own, provides a measure of closure they couldn’t reach before. Others decide to pursue a legal case. Neither response is wrong, and we will never push you toward a particular outcome.
For families who do want to take legal action, a stroke misdiagnosis case requires establishing that:
- A provider or institution deviated from the accepted standard of care
- The deviation caused harm that the patient would not otherwise have suffered
- The harm had real consequences
Responsibility may rest with the attending physician, the emergency department, the hospital system, or some combination. The review helps identify where the breakdown occurred and who was positioned to prevent it.
For those facing significant long-term needs, the financial reality is worth understanding. Families dealing with permanent disability often face years of rehabilitation, personal care, home modifications, and lost income. In Alaska, where a semi-private nursing facility room runs close to $334,000 a year, those costs are not abstract; for many families, a legal case is ultimately about securing the resources to meet them.
What you can do now to protect your ability to pursue a review:
- Request copies of all medical records from every facility that provided care — including imaging discs, not just reports
- Write down a timeline of events as you remember them, including what was said, who said it, and when it was said
- Preserve discharge paperwork, follow-up instructions, and any written communication from providers
- Note the names of providers if you can recall or find them
None of this commits you to anything. It preserves your options.
Why Families Work with Newsome Law
We don’t take every case that comes through the door. We take cases we can work thoroughly and pursue honestly, which means we limit our caseload in a way that lets us give families direct access to an attorney rather than a rotating cast of support staff.
When you work with us, the attorney handling your case is the attorney you talk to. You’re not shuffled. You’re not given a status update hotline. You have a person.
The medical review we coordinate involves qualified, independent experts, physicians whose professional standing makes them credible in both clinical and legal settings. We do not use experts who say what we want to hear. We use experts who tell us what the records show.
When those records show that care was appropriate, we tell you that. When they show something else, we tell you that too, and we help you understand what it means.
You Pay Nothing Upfront for Our Help
There is no fee unless we recover compensation for your family. The initial consultation costs nothing and obligates you to nothing.
Get the Answers You’ve Been Looking For
You don’t need to know whether you have a case. You don’t need to have made any decisions. You only need to have questions, and those are exactly what the consultation is for.
We’ll listen to what happened. We’ll tell you what a review would involve, what it can and can’t tell you, and what the process looks like if you decide to move forward. If at any point it’s not the right path for your family, you can step away.
Reach out to Newsome Law when you’re ready.
What Our Clients Say
Real stories from families we've helped through difficult times.
5.0
Newsome Law are fantastic! They have been working on my case for the past 3+ years and I have not once had a bad experience with anyone who works there. They have worked tirelessly to help me through my accident and the medical bills that loomed overhead. I am extremely pleased and grateful to have them, fighting on my side during this period in my life.
5.0
Selecting a Law Firm in a time of tragedy , is one of the most important decisions you will make in your lifetime. There are so many Firms out there that will chase you down , make unrealistic commitments and set unrealistic expectations. This is the last thing that is needed in such a painful and difficult time
Newsome Law Is a step above all the rest. They are not some run-of-the-mill Firm. But rather an experienced Team of established excellence and success. As one of Newsome Law’s grateful clients, they always operated in the best interest of my family. Were always available to take my call , and were compassionate to the pain and needs of my family. Newsome Law is the right Firm for you to choose.
5.0
5 Stars???!!!! These guys deserve the universe!!!!!!! They came through with every promise and were professional, diligent, smart, friendly, and understanding of the situation I was going through every step of the way. Very happy with the customer service so if that’s a thing for you, that’s another reason to go here. Honestly you will be making a mistake if you don’t go here. Rich is top tier in the US for attorneys and he definitely fought hard to get the job done here. If you want your money… GO HERE!!!!!!!
5.0
Newsome Law represented me in a very positive manner. Always professional, courteous, supportive and attentive. They were always able to keep me apprised of the status of my case. The team on my case were always easy to work with and on top of all issues. I never had to wonder where we were at in the process. I would recommend them to anyone needing this type of help in the future.
5.0
Just an amazing experience with the Newsome Law firm. Our case was very sensitive and close to our hearts. We were treated with the utmost respect for our situation and everything was handled in a professional and timely manner. We cannot say enough good things about the entire team!
5.0
I am so pleased to have worked with this firm. The attention to detail, time spent one on one, not feeling like I was just a number and someone truly caring about what was going on with me and my case was more than I could have ever hoped for. I will use this firm again if I ever need one and will recommend to everyone who asks to reach out to Newsome Law if they find they ever need someone to represent them. More than pleased and happy with everyone and everything from the office. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
5.0
I am so pleased to have worked with this firm. They went above and beyond for my sons case. I would highly recommend this firm to anyone. Always communicated with us, always answered all our questions and fought for my sons case to get the best. Newsome Law thank so much again for all you did. God Bless!
5.0
Partnered with this law firm under unfortunate circumstances and ended up being a great success. They understood the mission and intent, and collectively, conducted all of the behind the scenes work, resulting in a successful end result. If you want one of the best, here’s your opportunity and highly recommended.
5.0
When you’re in a hospital bed all jacked up from an accident and you google best personal injury attorneys, this is who you will find, and they are. Never had been in a lawsuit before and had never needed an attorney. They took such amazing care of me, and handled everything so professionally. A great team of paralegals and attorneys. Thank you so much guys.
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