What a Lawyer Actually Does First
Most people aren’t sure what contacting a medical malpractice attorney involves, or whether it’s the right step. It helps to understand the process concretely.
Listening Before Anything Else
When a family reaches out, the first thing our lawyers do is learn more about you and your story. What happened? When did symptoms appear? What did the hospital do? What didn’t they do?
Those details matter, and they help shape what comes next.
Building the Record
Our team gathers the full medical record:
- Imaging reports
- Nursing documentation
- Emergency department notes
- Discharge paperwork
- Transfer records
In Iowa, where a stroke patient may arrive at a local hospital, wait, and then be transported to a specialized center, what happened at each point along that continuum matters.
The Independent Medical Review
Once the record is assembled, we coordinate a review by independent medical experts. Their job is to examine what care your loved one received and compare it against the standard of care: what a reasonable, qualified provider would have done under similar circumstances.
This review doesn’t start with a conclusion. Sometimes it confirms that providers did everything they should have, and that the outcome—as devastating as it is—wasn’t the result of an error. That kind of clarity, even when it’s painful, has its own value. Families can stop wondering.
And sometimes the review reveals something else.
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 What a Review Examines
Stroke misdiagnosis isn’t rare, and it doesn’t always happen because someone was careless. It happens because strokes can look like other things, and because the infrastructure for catching them isn’t equally robust everywhere.
The Clinical Picture Is Often Misleading
Not every stroke announces itself with the classic warning signs. Brainstem strokes, in particular, can present with dizziness, nausea, difficulty walking, or a general sense that something is wrong, which are symptoms that overlap with inner ear problems, migraines, or anxiety.
Younger patients are more likely to be sent home. Patients whose primary language isn’t English face additional communication barriers. A provider under pressure in a busy emergency department may anchor on the more common diagnosis and not order imaging.
Iowa’s Geography Creates an Uneven Landscape
Iowa has one comprehensive stroke center in Iowa City and one thrombectomy-capable stroke center in Des Moines. Families who arrive at local hospitals will likely need to transfer to a capable center, which could be hours away.
When a patient arrives at one of those local facilities, the time spent there (from arrival to transfer) is measured by what’s called the door-in-door-out (DIDO) time. That number matters clinically. A 2023 JAMA study found that Iowa’s median DIDO time for acute ischemic stroke eligible for endovascular therapy met the under the less than 120-minute transfer time benchmark from the Brain Attack Coalition and the Joint Commission. However, it found that the median DIDO time for other acute ischemic stroke is 115 to 167 minutes.
A medical review in Iowa often has to look carefully at what happened at the first facility:
- When imaging was ordered
- Whether there were any issues with the imaging
- Whether neurology was consulted
- Whether the transfer decision was made promptly and executed well
If the Review Shows a Departure from Expected Care
The range of outcomes when a stroke is missed can be severe and could include:
- Partial disability
- Catastrophic brain injury
- Death
- Locked-in syndrome (LIS), in which someone is alert and aware but unable to move or communicate in the ways they once could
Understanding what led to that outcome is often the first thing a family needs.
Talk To Our Legal Team Today
We’re here to answer your questions and help you understand your options.
Schedule a Free Consultation
How a Legal Case Takes Shape
When the independent review identifies a departure from the standard of care, a family can make informed decisions about what they want to do next from a place of understanding rather than uncertainty. You can use those findings to seek closure or to seek accountability and the compensation your loved one needs for their long-term care.
A legal case in a stroke misdiagnosis matter involves:
- Establishing what the standard of care required
- Documenting how care fell short of that standard
- Connecting that departure to the harm the patient suffered
Responsibility may rest with an emergency physician, a hospital system, the facility’s administration, or multiple parties. That determination emerges from the evidence.
The goal of a case isn’t punishment. It’s securing the resources a family needs for ongoing care, rehabilitation, home modifications, lost wages, and the long-term stability that a catastrophic injury makes necessary.
What to Preserve Now
If you haven’t already, gathering certain information now makes a difference:
- Copies of all medical records
- Any imaging discs
- The discharge paperwork
- A written timeline of events as you remember them
- Notes from any conversations you had with providers
The sooner these are collected and preserved, the better.
The Real Costs of Long-Term Care in Iowa
For families navigating severe or permanent outcomes, care costs are not abstract.
| Type of Care | Estimated Cost in Iowa |
| Private duty nurse (hourly rate) | $180hour |
| Private duty nurse (visit rate) | $179/visit |
| Long-term care facility, e.g., nursing home (semi-private room) | $111,325/year |
| Long-term care facility, e.g., nursing home (private room) | $120,450/year |
Source: CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey
A legal case can be a means of making those costs manageable, not as a windfall, but as a lifeline.
What You Get When You Work With Newsome Law
Iowa has its share of stroke misdiagnosis attorneys, but there are a few things that set us apart.
We Learn About You and Your Family, Not Just Your Case
No family comes to us in a normal moment. They’re carrying grief, confusion, and often a deep frustration with not knowing what happened. We listen before we do anything else because understanding your family’s experience is the only foundation for doing this work well.
We Coordinate a Medical Review With No Upfront Costs
We work with qualified, independent medical experts, not generalists, but physicians who understand the specific standards that apply to emergency stroke care and neurological evaluation. Their review is thorough, honest, and independent.
We Give You Direct Access
You won’t be handed off. You’ll have direct access to the attorney working on your case throughout the process. We keep our caseload deliberately limited because complex stroke and catastrophic injury cases require real attention that your family deserves.
You Pay No Attorney Fees Unless We Recover Compensation
There is no cost to you unless we recover compensation on your behalf. The consultation is free. There is no obligation to proceed.
Let Our Team Help Your Family Take the First Step
If you have questions about what happened to your loved one, a consultation is where you can start the search for answers. It’s free, confidential, and comes with no pressure or obligation.
We’re here to help Iowa families understand what occurred and what options exist from there. Contact Newsome Law whenever you are ready to begin.
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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