How the Process Begins
Reaching out doesn’t commit you to anything. It starts with a conversation; someone listens to what happened, in your own words, and helps you understand what records exist and how to gather them.
From there, those records go to independent medical experts who aren’t affiliated with the firm or with the hospital involved. Their job is narrow and specific: did the care your loved one received meet the standard a reasonably careful provider would have followed, given what was known at the time? That’s a different question from “was the outcome bad?” The two aren’t the same, and part of what the review does is help a family see the difference clearly, often for the first time.
Sometimes that review comes back, and the answer is that providers did everything right and the outcome was simply the tragedy that stroke so often is. That answer has value too; it closes a loop that might otherwise stay open for years, and it can bring a kind of peace that second-guessing never does. The consultation itself costs nothing and asks nothing of you in return, and there’s no expectation that a family will move any further than they’re ready to.
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.
Piecing Together What the Records Show
Stroke misdiagnosis rarely comes down to one obvious mistake. More often it’s a pattern:
- Symptoms attributed to migraine, vertigo, intoxication, or anxiety
- A brainstem or posterior-circulation stroke that doesn’t present with the classic one-sided weakness people are trained to look for
- Imaging issues, e.g., a scan that was never ordered or ordered too late to matter
- A patient discharged from the ED before symptoms fully declared themselves
- A case that never made it to a neurologist at all
Measuring Against the Standard
Medical malpractice review isn’t about whether the outcome was bad; bad outcomes happen even with excellent care. It’s about comparing what was actually done against what a reasonably careful provider, in the same specialty, facing the same information, would have done. That comparison is the entire substance of the review, and it’s why an independent expert—not the firm and not the hospital—is the one doing it.
When It Turns Out to Be Neither
The range of outcomes tied to a missed stroke is wide: some patients recover with lasting but manageable deficits, some are left with permanent, severe disability, and in the most catastrophic cases, a brainstem stroke can result in locked-in syndrome—a state of full awareness with almost no ability to move or speak. Whatever the outcome, once the review is complete, you’re the one who decides what, if anything, comes next—from a place of actually knowing, rather than guessing.
Rhode Island’s Stroke Care Landscape
Rhode Island has only one comprehensive stroke center, located in Providence. Rhode Island is a small state, only a few dozen miles wide and long, but every minute counts in stroke treatment. This is especially true as the median transfer time for strokes here is higher than the nationwide guideline of fewer than 120 minutes. According to JAMA, the state’s door-in-door-out times are:
- 132-144 minutes for acute ischemic stroke eligible for endovascular therapy
- 259-338 minutes for other acute ischemic stroke
A short distance to a certified center doesn’t help if the diagnosis itself was wrong or if the transfer took hours.
Talk To Our Legal Team Today
We’re here to answer your questions and help you understand your options.
Schedule a Free Consultation
What a Missed Diagnosis Can Cost a Family
Beyond the medical and emotional toll, a severe or catastrophic stroke outcome often comes with a long-term financial one.
| Type of Care | Estimated Cost in Rhode Island |
| Private duty nurse (hourly rate) | $78/hour |
| Private duty nurse (visit rate) | N/A |
| Long-term care facility, e.g., nursing home (semi-private room) | $145,270/year |
| Long-term care facility, e.g., nursing home (private room) | $160,600/year |
Source: Genworth
These figures illustrate why the financial dimension of a severe stroke outcome, which typically consists of years of skilled nursing or home care, is rarely small, and why families often need more than a general sense that “care is expensive” to plan around it. This is especially true in Rhode Island, where the cost of living is already substantially higher than the national average, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center.
If the Review Points to a Preventable Error
If the independent review concludes that the care fell short of the standard, the next conversation is about what you want to do with that information. You can take the findings, know that you were right to have concerns, and seek closure. You can also take the information we gained to build a case against the negligent party.
Once you’ve decided, we can discuss what a case would actually involve: what has to be established, and who may bear responsibility. This could include:
- A single physician
- An emergency department
- A hospital system
- More than one of the above
The goal at that stage isn’t punishment. It’s securing what your family may actually need going forward: funds for ongoing medical care and rehabilitation, replacement of lost income, home modifications, and a measure of long-term financial stability that a serious stroke outcome can otherwise erase.
If you think you may want to pursue this further, a few simple steps now can matter later:
- Request and keep copies of all medical records and imaging (discs, not just reports).
- Hold on to discharge paperwork and any written instructions given at the time.
- Write down a timeline while it’s still fresh, including what symptoms appeared and when and what was said by whom.
- Note the names of providers involved, where you can.
We Can Help Families Across Rhode Island
We start by listening. Before anything else, we want to understand what your family has been through. From there, we coordinate the medical review with qualified, independent experts, so the assessment isn’t coming from us or from anyone with a stake in the outcome.
Every family that works with us has direct access to their attorney, not a rotating cast of case managers. We keep our caseload limited by design, so that access stays real. We’ve handled complex stroke and catastrophic injury cases before, and we understand both the medicine and the toll this takes on a family. And we work on contingency: there are no fees unless we recover compensation for you.
Getting Answers Starts With One Free Conversation
You don’t have to know what you want to do yet. The consultation exists to help you understand what happened; nothing more is asked of you, and nothing is owed in return. It’s free, confidential, and there’s no pressure to take a single step further than you’re ready for. A stroke misdiagnosis lawyer at Newsome Law is ready when you are.
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.
Need to Speak with Someone New
Our lines are open 24/7. Call us anytime for immediate assistance.
Call Now: (407) 648 5977
