The First Step Isn’t a Lawsuit. It’s a Medical Review.
When families come to us, the most important thing we can offer early on isn’t legal strategy; it’s answers. That means digging into the medicine before anything else.
After listening to what your family experienced, we gather the records:
- Emergency department notes
- Imaging results
- Consultation logs
- Discharge summaries
We then work with independent medical specialists to examine what happened against the backdrop of accepted stroke care standards.
These experts are asking a specific question: Did the providers involved make decisions that a competent clinician, in similar circumstances, should have made? They aren’t looking for exceptional, textbook-perfect care. They are looking for care that qualified, reasonably attentive providers are expected to deliver.
Sometimes the review comes back with difficult news in a different direction than families expect; the evidence shows the providers did what they should have, and the outcome was a tragedy that medicine couldn’t prevent. We share that finding honestly. A lot of families tell us that knowing is something they needed, even when the answer isn’t what they hoped for.
The consultation and initial review process costs you nothing, and nothing about it obligates you to take legal action.
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.
Stroke Misdiagnosis: Why It Happens More Than Most People Realize
Stroke is one of the most time-sensitive conditions in medicine. Every minute of delayed treatment can mean measurable neurological damage. And yet stroke is also one of the most commonly misdiagnosed conditions in emergency settings, not because providers are careless, but because the presentation can be genuinely deceptive.
Symptoms May Be Misunderstood
Some strokes don’t arrive looking like strokes. A patient with sudden dizziness and vomiting might be assessed for vertigo. Someone complaining of a severe headache might be sent home with a migraine diagnosis. Patients with strokes affecting the brainstem, where balance, swallowing, and eye movement are controlled, may not show the one-sided facial drooping or arm weakness that emergency staff are trained to flag. These are the cases where critical imaging gets skipped, neurology never gets called, and patients are discharged before anyone recognizes what was actually happening.
The review we coordinate examines all of this: whether imaging was ordered at all and how quickly, whether the results were read accurately, whether the team considered stroke given the symptom picture, and whether treatment options were acted on within the windows that matter.
Transfers May Be Necessary
Montana adds a layer of complexity that’s worth acknowledging. Much of the state is rural, and patients who live hours from a comprehensive stroke center may require transfer through one or more hospitals before reaching the level of care their condition demands. Each transfer is a potential delay, and those delays carry real clinical consequences. Gaps in transfer coordination, such as slow handoffs, missing documentation, and prolonged stays at facilities not equipped to treat stroke, are part of what a thorough review can surface.
Slow transfers in Montana are a real problem. According to JAMA, Montana’s median time for transfers is 132 to 144 minutes for acute ischemic stroke eligible for endovascular therapy. This median time is longer than the nationwide guideline of less than 120 minutes.
The range of outcomes when a stroke is missed is wide:
- Partial disability
- Permanent impairment
- Locked-in syndrome, a devastating condition in which a person retains consciousness but loses nearly all ability to move or communicate
- Death
Understanding which outcome was preventable, and to what degree, is what the medical review is built to determine.
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: Understanding the Legal Path
A finding that care fell short doesn’t automatically translate into a lawsuit, and it doesn’t have to. But for families that want to pursue accountability, and more practically, the financial resources to manage a future that now looks very different, here’s how that process works.
A stroke misdiagnosis case rests on connecting three things:
- That the care provided fell below the accepted standard
- That this failure directly affected the outcome
- That identifiable harm resulted
Responsibility doesn’t always point to a single doctor. It might involve an emergency department’s protocols, a hospital system’s policies, a radiologist who misread an image, or the coordination failures of an inter-facility transfer.
What families are often trying to secure isn’t punishment. It’s stability. Long-term care for serious neurological injury is expensive.
| Type of Care | Estimated Cost in Montana |
| Private duty nurse (hourly rate) | $74/hour |
| Private duty nurse (visit rate) | $200/visit |
| Long-term care facility, e.g., nursing home (semi-private room) | $107,675 |
| Long-term care facility, e.g., nursing home (private room) | $114,975 |
Source: Genworth/CareScout
These figures exceed the national median across most categories. For someone managing a permanent neurological condition, costs like these extend across years or decades. A legal recovery, when the evidence supports it, is one of the few mechanisms that can make that financial reality manageable.
One practical step you can take right now, regardless of where you are in this process is to hold onto everything, including:
- Medical records from every facility involved
- Imaging discs
- Discharge paperwork
- Any notes from conversations with staff
- A written timeline of events while memory is still fresh
These materials are the foundation of any review, and they’re easier to preserve now than to reconstruct later.
What Working with Newsome Law Looks Like
We’re not a volume firm. The attorneys handling your case are the ones you’ll actually hear from, and we keep our caseload at a size that makes that sustainable. Our work on stroke and catastrophic injury cases has given us a deep understanding of these cases.
We begin every case the same way: by understanding what your family went through, not by sizing up the legal opportunity. That orientation shapes everything that follows.
And you don’t need to worry about saving up for a retainer or hourly fees. There are no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.
Talk to Us — On Your Terms
You don’t need to know whether you have a case before you call. You don’t need to have decided what you want to do. The consultation is free, confidential, and designed for exactly this moment when you’re still trying to figure out what happened and what, if anything, should come next.
We’re here 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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