For this evidence-based 2026 ranking of Miami wrongful death firms, we weigh each firm's practice focus against published results, client reviews and professional history.
With its focus on medical negligence and a published $1.3 million wrongful death result, Miami Medical Malpractice Lawyers leads this list. Before calling, find out whether the firm has handled a death involving care similar to your loved one's. Ask how costs are paid and who would work on your case. For medical-malpractice filing rules and limits on who can recover certain damages, see the Florida law guide.
5.015 Google reviewsRated 5.0 out of 5 on Google from 15 reviews
Best for: Deaths involving missed diagnoses
A medical-malpractice wrongful death result reported by Miami Medical Malpractice Lawyers totaled $1.3 million. When diagnoses of liver disease or heart disease were missed, the firm reports recoveries, and it publishes cancer recoveries too. Because it focuses on medical negligence, the firm earns a place here.
Stood out in our review for how much of its work is medical malpractice and the recognition it has earned.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
5.0112 Google reviewsRated 5.0 out of 5 on Google from 112 reviews
Best for: Hospital and surgical negligence claims
When clients describe Percy Martinez, they often say they felt respected and knew what was happening with their case. Because the 5-star Google rating draws on 112 reviews, the comments about communication come from more than a handful of clients. Although medical malpractice is its focus, the firm's site discusses wrongful death and hospital negligence too.
Stood out in our review for how much of its work is medical malpractice and the recognition it has earned.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
4.8877 Google reviewsRated 4.8 out of 5 on Google from 877 reviews
Best for: Spanish-speaking families seeking established counsel
Since its founding in 1983, Bernstein & Maryanoff has been operating for many years. Along with listing Spanish among its languages, the firm identifies Jack G. Bernstein and Neil Maryanoff as attorneys. After a client suffered paralysis, the firm reports a medical-malpractice recovery of $2.25 million.
Stood out in our review for its years of experience and the recognition it has earned.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
Not sure who to call first?
Tell us what happened. A malpractice lawyer who serves Miami can look at it with you, and it costs nothing.
5.0117 Google reviewsRated 5.0 out of 5 on Google from 117 reviews
Best for: Families seeking a longstanding trial practice
If you've lost someone after medical care, Freidin Brown, P.A.'s published $6.5 million medical-malpractice wrongful death result gives you the clearest reason to consider the firm. Since its founding in 1976, the firm has identified Philip Freidin as its founding partner. On its site, you'll find discussions of hospital negligence and medication errors.
Stood out in our review for its years of experience and what its clients say.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
4.973 Google reviewsRated 4.9 out of 5 on Google from 73 reviews
Best for: Deaths during childbirth or hospitalization
After a mother died in childbirth, Freedland Harwin Valori Gander reports that her family received a $24.5 million verdict. In other published cases, one patient died in a hospital after a narcotic overdose and inadequate monitoring; another died after discharge despite signs of a subarachnoid hemorrhage. If you'd like to discuss those cases, you can speak with attorney Daniel Harwin.
Stood out in our review for the results it publishes and how much of its work is medical malpractice.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
When you give the lawyer the treatment dates, explain when your family first learned that something might have gone wrong. Alongside Florida's general 2-year filing clock, there's a 4-year outer limit. To learn what those dates mean for your claim, ask a Florida lawyer.
Investigate the medical care
Because Florida requires a reasonable investigation before suing, the lawyer gathers records and examines what worries you about the treatment. Find out what the chart can establish. If questions still need a medical opinion, ask the lawyer to explain which ones.
Prepare the expert-supported notice
Before a medical-malpractice lawsuit, the notice of intent must be corroborated by a qualified medical expert's verified written opinion. When discussing that opinion, ask your lawyer what it does and how it addresses your concerns about the care your loved one received.
Address the complaint and recovery rules
When the case reaches the complaint, the document starting the lawsuit, ask the lawyer to explain how the filing deadline applies. After medical negligence, Florida's wrongful death act limits who can recover non-economic damages. Damage caps aren't enforced.
Work toward a resolution
Among the listed firms' results, you'll find settlements and trial verdicts. Your family's case could follow either path, but neither predicts its result. Before discussing how fees and costs would affect a recovery, ask how the lawyer would explain a proposed settlement and medical questions that remain unanswered.
Malpractice claims in Miami: the rules that matter
The filing deadline in Florida
The clock startsWhen you found out, or should have
Time to start a claim2 yearsMiss it and the claim is usually lost.
At the very most4 yearsafter the treatment, with a few exceptions
Expert paperworkBefore suing, the claimant must make a reasonable investigation, and the notice of intent must be corroborated by a verified written opinion of a qualified medical expert.
A written agreementThe share the lawyer takes, set out before work starts.
If you recover moneyThe agreed share and the case costs come out of it.
If the claim failsNo legal fee on a contingency agreement. Ask about costs.
If the claim fails, eight listed firms say they charge no attorney fee under their contingency terms; if it recovers money, the lawyer takes a share. You can consult every firm for free. Costs aren't attorney fees. Because case costs can cover records or medical opinions as well as court fees, ask who advances the money and whether you'd owe it even if nothing is recovered. You can't infer a shared way of handling costs from the firms' listed terms. Before you sign, request a written explanation of when expenses are deducted and what share of the recovery the firm takes.
According to the terms they state, you can consult all ten listed firms for free. For eight of them, contingency fees are also listed.
What to bring to your first call
Your written timeline showing when treatment and death occurred
When your family first suspected something was wrong, with dates
Which hospitals and treating clinicians were involved
The discharge instructions and any medical records already in your possession
Lists of your loved one's medications, with prescription information
Records of related expenses, including medical bills
Letters you've received from the hospital or insurer
What worries you, as shown in photos or messages
Questions to ask a lawyer
1What deaths involving similar medical care have you handled?
2If we have questions, who answers, and who handles our case?
3Once you get the medical records, how would you review them?
4What's involved in arranging the medical expert's written opinion?
5Given our family's situation, what's the filing deadline?
6Under Florida law, which family members are limited in recovering damages?
7If we recover nothing, who pays case costs and your fee?
8When a settlement offer comes, how would you discuss it with us?
Choosing a lawyer after a death involving medical care
Start with the treatment that concerns you. Discussing a missed diagnosis is different from discussing a medication overdose or a death during childbirth, and several firms here publish those kinds of cases. Ask about the attorney's own work involving similar treatment. The firm's general injury results aren't a substitute for that conversation.
Tell the lawyer which hospital provided care, then describe what happened in order. When describing care at Baptist Hospital of Miami or HCA Florida Kendall Hospital, name the hospital and give the dates you know. If you have discharge instructions or letters, bring those too. Before you request a consultation, you don't need answers to every medical question.
Ask how the medical review will work
Who will talk with our family, and who's reviewing the chart?
What will you examine to learn whether treatment caused the death?
Before filing suit, how will you obtain the required verified written opinion from a qualified medical expert?
When explaining a comparable published result, can you avoid suggesting that our case will turn out the same way?
If you plan to file a medical-malpractice lawsuit in Florida, you must first conduct a reasonable investigation. To support the notice of intent, you need a qualified medical expert's verified written opinion. Have the lawyer walk you through that process using plain language. Before the review, ask which records it needs and how you'll pay for the medical review.
You can consult every listed firm for free. Although that meeting lets you discuss whether the firm may take your case, don't expect it to settle every question about later expenses. If you're offered contingency fees, request the firm's fee agreement. Before signing, have the lawyer explain how case costs work and the share of any recovery.
Expect answers you can understand. Before signing under pressure, pause if no one has discussed costs. If a prediction rests only on another family's settlement, pause for that too. Although reviews can help you judge communication, many concern other injury cases. When asking about updates, also ask how you'll take part in the lawyer's settlement discussions.
Questions people ask
Which Miami firm leads this wrongful death list?
Because it focuses on medical negligence and publishes a $1.3 million malpractice wrongful death result, Miami Medical Malpractice Lawyers takes first place. For missed diagnoses and surgical errors, the firm's site reports recoveries too. Your family's right fit isn't something a ranking can establish. Before choosing, ask about cases involving similar care and who would handle your file.
How long do we have to file after a death involving medical negligence?
Under Florida's medical-malpractice rule, the filing period is generally 2 years from the incident or when it was or should have been discovered, subject to a 4-year outer limit after the incident. Before counting from the death alone, check the rule. To work out your family's filing deadline, a Florida lawyer can review the treatment dates and questions about discovery.
What should we do before calling a lawyer?
When you write down the treatment dates, include what made you concerned. Along with hospital letters, keep any bills and discharge instructions you already have. Rather than waiting until you've collected everything, tell the lawyer if you're missing records. Because every firm listed offers a free consultation, you won't pay a consultation charge to ask what you should do next.
Do we need a medical opinion before suing?
Yes. Before you file a medical-malpractice lawsuit, Florida requires a reasonable investigation. To corroborate the notice of intent, you also need a qualified medical expert's verified written opinion. Before the review, ask who pays for it and how the firm arranges it. Given what happened during your loved one's care, the lawyer can explain which questions the opinion must address.
Can every family member recover damages after a medical-negligence death?
Don't assume every family member can recover the same damages. When medical negligence causes a death, Florida's wrongful death act limits which people can recover non-economic damages. Nonfinancial harm is what these damages cover. Although no damage caps are enforced, you still need to ask a Florida lawyer how the act determines your family's eligibility.
Will we owe attorney fees if the claim fails?
Under the contingency fees eight listed firms say they offer, the lawyer takes a share of any recovery but charges no attorney fee if the claim fails. Expenses aren't fees. If there's no recovery, ask whether you'd still owe charges for records or medical opinions, along with court fees. Before signing the agreement, read what's written in it.
Are there different deadline rules for children?
If a claim is brought on a child's behalf on or before the eighth birthday, Florida's stated child exception says the 4-year and 7-year limits don't bar it. Even with that rule, deadline questions remain, and it doesn't explain a family's claim after a child's death. For the particular claim you're considering, have a Florida lawyer explain which rules apply.
How long will a wrongful death malpractice case take?
You can't work out a fixed case length from these filing rules. Before you sue, Florida requires an investigation and an expert-supported notice; among the listed firms' results are settlements and trial verdicts. To understand what's ahead, ask what work remains and how you'll receive updates. You can't tell how quickly your claim will resolve by looking at another family's published result.
Are any listed offices outside Miami?
Yes. In Coral Gables, 7 km from Miami, you'll find offices listed by Freedland Harwin Valori Gander and Bonner Law. Fort Lauderdale is another location listed by Freedland Harwin Valori Gander. If you have trouble traveling, find out before choosing a firm how it would handle your consultation and the meetings that follow. Serving Miami doesn't necessarily mean an office is inside the city.
Can we discuss the case in Spanish?
Alongside The Russo Firm and Bonner Law, Bernstein & Maryanoff includes Spanish among its listed languages. If you want to discuss fees and case updates in Spanish, ask whether that's possible and who would speak with your family. You can start with that question. Before choosing, also ask what work the assigned attorney has done on medical-negligence deaths involving care similar to your loved one's.
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