On this page(5)
Every fact on Malpractice Center must trace to a source you can open. This page explains what we check and how.
What we check
- Every number, date, deadline and dollar amount
- Every statement of law, against the statute, rule or decision it comes from
- Every claim about a law firm: its practice, its offices, its lawyers, its license status and its published results
- Every quote, against the review, thread or article it came from
- Every link
Which sources we trust
| Kind of claim | Source we use first | Fallback |
|---|---|---|
| The law in a state or province | The statute, court rule or decision itself | A government or court summary |
| Health and safety data | Government data and peer-reviewed research | Reputable reporting on that research |
| A firm's practice and lawyers | The firm's own website | Bar or law society directory |
| License and discipline | The state bar or law society directory | Marked Unverified |
| A firm's results | Court records or news reports | The firm's own results page, labeled as reported by the firm |
| Client experience | Google reviews | Community discussion, labeled as individual experience |
How a page is checked
Collect sources
We gather the sources before writing. Nothing is added to a page without one.
Check each claim
Each claim is matched to its source. Numbers keep their year and their caveats.
Mark what we could not confirm
If a legal point or a firm's license status cannot be confirmed from the public record, the page says so. We do not guess.
Automated checks
Before a page is published, automated checks confirm that sources are present, links work and restricted claims are absent.
Recheck on a schedule
Lists are re-verified every quarter and law guides at least every year.
Estimates and their limits
Some of the most quoted numbers about medical error are estimates built from samples, and researchers disagree about them. When we use an estimate, we say it is one, give its year and method, and note when other studies reach different numbers. Our facts page shows how we handle this.
Found an error?
Tell us at [email protected]. Our corrections policy explains what happens next.