how do you know if you have a medical malpractice suit at hand

Don't waste your time trying to obtain the medical records yourself, let an attorney investigate the case and obtain certified records himself.  If an anesthesiologist lets a patient's blood pressure drop too low during spinal surgery, this can result in a stroke. Anesthesiologists practice something called deliberate hypotension. They intentionally keep blood pressure low to control bleeding during large surgeries. If you were not properly evaluated preoperatively, however, they may have a false understanding of what your base-line blood pressure is, and this can result in blood pressure going too far below baseline. Other mistakes can occur when this kind of approach is utilized. I represented a gentleman who suffered a stroke during spinal surgery because of the use of deliberate hypotension. Click here for a discussion of that case.  If you want to investigate a case, you should contact a local medical malpractice attorney (one in your state).  They take these cases on a contingency basis which means you only have to pay if you succeed.  Additionally, initial consultations are usually free. You can use the "Find a Lawyer" service through this website to research medical malpractice attorneys.  Then, visit each attorney's website and look for a firm that has a record of successful verdicts.  Below are some articles you may find helpful.  They are written for a New Jersey audience (where I practice) but the ideas discussed in these articles usually apply in most other jurisdictions as well. Click here for an article that discusses the three main questions I ask when deciding whether to investigate a potential medical malpractice case. Click here for an article that explains what you can expect when filing a medical malpractice case. Click here and here for more information about me. Please note that by attempting to answer your question, I am not acting as your attorney. I will do nothing further to protect or preserve your interests in the absence of any additional discussion with you about this matter. John Ratkowitz, Esq. Starr, Gern, Davison & Rubin, P.C. 105 Eisenhower Parkway Roseland, NJ 07068 Office: (973) 830-8441 Cell: (732) 616-6278 Fax: (973) 226-0031 Email: jratkowitz@starrgern.com  Skype: john_ratkowitz Web: www.starrgern.com.