When Minutes Matter: What You Need to Know About Strokes and How to Protect Yourself in Today’s Healthcare System

You rush to the emergency room because something feels wrong – slurred speech, weakness, confusion, blurred vision, dizziness, or a sudden headache. These can all be signs of a stroke. The most important thing to remember is that time is brain – which means the longer you wait the more damage there is to your brain. If these symptoms are unusual for you or someone you love, go to the emergency room immediately. Delaying care can lead to devastating disability or death.

And yet, for far too many families, what comes next is waiting. Hours pass. No clear answers. No sense of urgency.

Sadly, this is the reality in today’s healthcare system. Many hospitals are now part of large corporate networks, run by executives more focused on financial targets than patient care. And while that may sound like someone else’s problem, you feel it when care is delayed, decisions are slow, and systems break down in critical moments.

Few situations make that more painfully clear than stroke.

Could You Spot a Stroke if It Happened to Someone You Love?

A stroke happens when blood flow to the brain is interrupted – either by a blockage (ischemic stroke) or bleeding (hemorrhagic stroke). Without oxygen, brain cells begin to die within minutes. The longer treatment is delayed, the greater the risk of permanent disability or death.

Most strokes are ischemic, caused by blood clots or narrowed arteries that cut off circulation. Treatments like tPA, a clot-busting drug, can restore blood flow – but only if given within a critical window. Hemorrhagic strokes, while less common, are just as serious and require emergency care to stop the bleeding and relieve pressure on the brain.

Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke. It’s the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of serious, long-term disability. Yet too often, hospitals miss the signs or fail to act fast enough.

Are You or Your Loved Ones at Risk for Stroke?

Stroke can happen to anyone, but certain factors increase the risk:

• High blood pressure (the #1 cause of stroke)
• Diabetes, high cholesterol, or heart disease
• Smoking
• Obesity or inactivity
• Age over 55
• Family history of stroke
• Systemic healthcare disparities that put Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous communities at greater risk

Recognizing these risks early – and managing them with your doctor – can help reduce your chances of having a stroke. But knowing what to do in an emergency is just as important.

Why Do Hospitals So Often Get It Wrong?

We hear from families who sat in waiting rooms while their loved one’s condition worsened. From patients who were told to wait for imaging while stroke protocols were delayed or skipped entirely. From people who were never told they were having a stroke until it was too late to receive proper treatment.

These aren’t just tragic outcomes – they’re systemic failures.

Hospitals, doctors, and nurses have a duty to:

• Recognize stroke symptoms immediately
• Initiate stroke protocols without delay
• Order and interpret imaging quickly
• Administer treatment like tPA when appropriate and within the treatment window
• Transfer the patient if they aren’t equipped to provide stroke care

When that duty is broken, the consequences are life-changing.

What Happens When Care Comes Too Late?

Delayed or missed stroke care can lead to:

• Permanent brain damage
• Loss of mobility, speech, or cognitive function
• Paralysis, often on one side of the body
• Long-term disability requiring full-time care
• Loss of independence and livelihood
• Emotional and financial strain on families
• Wrongful death

These outcomes aren’t just medical – they are deeply personal, often preventable, and forever life-altering.

What Can You Do to Protect Your Family?

While you can’t control how a hospital operates, you can speak up when seconds matter.

Know the signs of stroke – BE FAST:

• Balance: sudden loss of balance
• Eyes: vision changes or trouble seeing
• Face: facial drooping
• Arms: arm weakness or numbness
• Speech: slurred or strange speech
• Time: call 911 immediately

When you arrive at the hospital for yourself or a loved one, be clear and direct with the care team:

“I’m concerned this could be a stroke. Can you start a stroke alert?”

Ask if imaging has been ordered and when it will be done. Ask if a neurologist is available. Ask whether you or your loved one is eligible for tPA or needs to be transferred to a stroke center for specialized care.

We Understand – Because We’ve Lived It, Too.

Sometimes, asking the right question can change the outcome.

Our firm’s founding attorney, Patty Raymond, knows this from personal experience. Years ago, her father was rushed to the ER after collapsing at home. By the time she arrived, he was unconscious. As she listened to those with her father when the symptoms developed, and how quickly the ambulance was called – sudden weakness, slurred speech, confusion – Patty knew he was having a major stroke. And she knew they were still within the treatment window for tPA, the drug that could save his life.

When the neurologist said no, he wasn’t going to give the drug – Patty knew he had to advocate for him.

Patty then turned to the ER doctor and asked the question we encourage every family to ask:

“What would you do if this was your father?”

The ER doctor paused, then replied:

“I would give the tPA.”

And they did.

That decision saved her father’s life.

Call Us Today to Get the Answers You Deserve.

If you or someone you love experienced a stroke and you’re left wondering whether more could have been done, you’re not alone. We work with medical experts to review what happened, explain your options, and fight for the accountability your family deserves.

Call us today to schedule a free consultation – no call center, just us.

We’re a family-run law firm serving patients across Illinois, led by a former ICU nurse turned attorney. You’ll speak directly with our experienced team who understands both the medicine and the law.