What Happens When You Call
Reaching out doesn’t commit you to anything. It starts a conversation, and from there, a process.
We begin by listening to the timeline as you understand it, including:
- The symptoms that were reported
- What the hospital said and didn’t say
- The questions that have stayed with you since
From there, our stroke misdiagnosis lawyers gather the medical records, imaging, and any EMS or transfer documentation tied to your loved one’s care. That record goes to independent medical experts who evaluate what happened against accepted medical standards.
It’s worth saying plainly: sometimes that review shows the care team did what they were supposed to do, even though the outcome was devastating. Strokes can be difficult to catch, even when everyone involved does everything right. If that’s what the review finds, you still walk away with a clearer, more honest picture of what happened, from people with no reason to shade it one way or another.
None of this costs anything to find out. The consultation is free, and there’s no obligation to take next steps.
There’s also no set timeline you need to follow. Some families call us within days of a stroke; others wait months, until they’ve had time to grieve or to settle into a new caregiving routine before they’re ready to ask hard questions. Either way, the process starts the same: a conversation, then a records request, then an independent review. You can pause or stop at any point along the way.
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 a Stroke Can Be Missed and What an Independent Review Determines
Once you understand the process, it helps to understand what the review is actually looking for.
Common Ways the Diagnosis Slips Through
Stroke symptoms don’t always look like the warning signs people are taught to recognize. Dizziness, confusion, or trouble speaking can be mistaken for migraine, intoxication, low blood sugar, or a psychiatric episode, especially in younger patients. Brainstem strokes are particularly easy to miss because they often don’t produce the symptoms most people think of with stroke.
A review typically looks at whether imaging was ordered and read promptly, whether a neurologist was consulted, whether a patient was discharged, or whether they were admitted to a unit without adequate monitoring when their symptoms called for closer attention.
Weighing Care Against a Reasonable Standard
Medicine isn’t judged against perfection. It’s judged against what a reasonably careful provider would have done with the same information, in the same circumstances. It is what’s known as the standard of care. That’s the benchmark an independent review applies. The question isn’t whether the outcome could have been different in hindsight. It’s whether the provider acted the way a competent provider in their position should have acted at the time.
How Maine’s Geography Could Affect a Review
Stroke treatment is time-sensitive in a way few other emergencies are, and Maine’s geography adds a layer most states don’t have to account for as heavily. It’s the most rural state in the country, according to Northeastern University, and roughly four in 10 residents live outside its population centers.
Only one hospital in the state, located in Portland, holds the highest level of stroke-center certification, which means many patients are first evaluated at a community hospital and, if their stroke needs advanced treatment, transferred elsewhere. With a stroke, every minute matters, and a delayed transfer can be catastrophic.
Maine’s Transfer Times Eclipse the Nationwide Guidelines
The nationwide guidelines for door-in-door-out (how long it takes from the time a patient arrives at a facility until they leave for another facility) differ depending on the organization making them. They are as follows:
- The Joint Commission and the Brain Attack Coalition: Less than 120 minutes
- The American Heart Association: Less than 90 minutes
Maine’s door-in-door-out times, according to JAMA, are 146 to 209 minutes for acute ischemic stroke eligible for endovascular therapy and 217 to 258 minutes for other acute ischemic stroke.
What a Missed Stroke Can Mean for Your Loved One
The consequences of a missed or delayed stroke diagnosis vary widely, and a lot of that variation comes down to how much time passed before treatment began.
Some patients recover most of their function with prompt rehabilitation. Others are left with lasting partial disability, including difficulty with speech, mobility, or memory that requires ongoing therapy and support. In the most severe cases, a missed stroke can result in locked-in syndrome, a condition where a person remains fully conscious but is almost entirely unable to move or speak, or death.
Whatever the outcome looked like in your family’s case, understanding how and why it happened is the foundation for whatever you decide to do next.
Talk To Our Legal Team Today
We’re here to answer your questions and help you understand your options.
Schedule a Free Consultation
Turning Understanding Into a Plan
If the review finds that your loved one’s care fell short of what a reasonable provider should have done, the conversation naturally shifts from what happened to what now.
You can decide to simply take this information and seek closure, but if you decide to take legal action, we can support you through the process.
Building a legal case from those findings starts with identifying who bears responsibility, which might be a single physician, an emergency department, a hospital system, or several parties, and connecting that responsibility to the harm your family has experienced. The goal isn’t punishment. It’s making sure your family has the resources to manage what comes next: medical care, rehabilitation, lost income, home modifications, and long-term stability, if that’s what’s needed.
While you decide what you want to do, it helps to hold onto what you can:
- Medical records and imaging discs
- A written timeline of what happened and when
- Discharge paperwork
- Notes from any conversations with providers
None of this needs to be gathered quickly or perfectly. Just keep what you already have.
If your case is successful, it can help cover the costs of your loved one’s care and other expenses.
| Type of Care | Estimated Cost in Maine |
| Private duty nurse (hourly rate) | $125/hour |
| Private duty nurse (visit rate) | $218/visit |
| Long-term care facility, e.g., nursing home (semi-private room) | $167,718/year |
| Long-term care facility, e.g., nursing home (private room) | $178,850/year |
Source: Genworth
Why You Can Trust Us With Your Stroke Misdiagnosis Case
Families come to us at a point when they’re still making sense of what happened, and how we handle that first conversation tends to shape everything that follows.
We start by listening, not by pitching. If you choose to work with us, you’ll have direct access to your attorney throughout the process. We’ve handled complex catastrophic injury cases before, and we understand how disorienting it is to navigate a medical system while grieving or while caring for someone who now needs round-the-clock support. And because we work on a contingency basis, you owe us nothing unless we recover compensation for your family.
A Conversation, Not a Commitment
If you’ve read this far, you may still be unsure what you want to do, and that’s completely fine. Getting answers is what the consultation is for. It’s free, it’s confidential, and it doesn’t obligate you to anything. We’re here to help you understand what happened to someone you love, whenever you’re ready to talk.
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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