This 2026 ranking of Orlando wrongful death firms draws on published results and reviews, with attention to the cases each firm handles and its professional standing.
Percy Martinez takes the first spot here. The firm focuses on medical malpractice; its published results include an $8.4 million surgical-error settlement. Before you call, check whether the firm handles deaths involving care like your loved one's. Ask about fees, including who you'll contact with questions. After reading the Florida law guide, ask a Florida lawyer which filing rules apply if medical negligence caused your loved one's death.
4.939 Google reviewsRated 4.9 out of 5 on Google from 39 reviews
Best for: Deaths involving medical negligence
With medical malpractice at the center of Percy Martinez's practice, its site shows matters involving wrongful death and hospital negligence. That's why its narrow focus matters to this ranking. In its published $8.4 million settlement, an operating-room technician photographed a wrong-site marking, showing how a record can matter in a surgical-error claim.
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
5.014 Google reviewsRated 5.0 out of 5 on Google from 14 reviews
Best for: Hospital and nursing home deaths
Fernandez Firm publishes settlements in two death cases. One concerned a child who died because of hospital staff's actions; a nursing home resident's widow received the other settlement after infected bedsores caused her husband's death. The firm also reports a $36.7 million birth injury verdict tried in Orlando and upheld on appeal, though that case concerned a different kind of claim.
Stood out in our review for the results it publishes 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
4.9814 Google reviewsRated 4.9 out of 5 on Google from 814 reviews
Best for: Nursing home neglect concerns
Farah & Farah began in 1979, making it the longest-running firm among those included on this list. The firm describes nursing home cases on its site in which residents developed bedsores or lacked adequate protection for their heels. You can also read about a recovery for a brain injury in a hospital emergency room, in addition to the site's wrongful death topics.
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
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Tell us what happened. A malpractice lawyer who serves Orlando can look at it with you, and it costs nothing.
5.019 Google reviewsRated 5.0 out of 5 on Google from 19 reviews
Best for: Hospital negligence death claims
Medical negligence is the narrow focus of Treto Law Firm's practice. Alongside wrongful death coverage on its site, the firm lists hospital negligence and birth negligence work, plus cases involving surgical errors. Orlando is where the office is.
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
5.0782 Google reviewsRated 5.0 out of 5 on Google from 782 reviews
Best for: Deaths involving accidents or negligence
When Norden Leacox Accident & Injury Law's clients describe updates, they often say they didn't have to chase the firm. Although the comments aren't limited to wrongful death cases, its 782 Google reviews and 5-star rating offer a substantial base for those accounts of communication. Alongside wrongful death in its practice areas, the firm lists a published $951,000 medical malpractice result.
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 speaking with a Florida lawyer, explain what happened and when you learned of the suspected medical error. Under Florida's wrongful death act, who may recover? After deaths caused by medical negligence, the act limits certain non-economic damages.
Review the medical records
Before you sue, Florida requires a reasonable investigation. Find out how a medical expert would assess the care and which charts and treatment notes the lawyer would need. Would you pay for that review?
Prepare the notice of intent
A qualified medical expert must provide a verified written opinion that supports the notice of intent before you can proceed. What must the expert's opinion cover? Have the lawyer explain this requirement, including how it affects your deadline to file.
Address the filing deadline
Under Florida's medical malpractice rule, you generally have 2 years from the incident or discovery, subject to a 4-year outer limit. If children are involved, exceptions may matter. Have a Florida lawyer check those rules against the actual dates before filing a complaint.
Discuss resolution
You can read published jury verdicts here, not just settlements. Ask what could send your claim to trial and what would be needed to resolve it. Florida's rules don't say how long a case should take.
Malpractice claims in Orlando: 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.
According to most firms on this list, they work on contingency. If the claim fails, there's no lawyer's fee; otherwise, the lawyer receives a share of a recovery. Separate case costs can cover records or medical opinions, with court fees among the possible expenses too. From the firms' stated terms, you can't tell who advances those expenses or who owes them if the claim is unsuccessful. Before signing, ask about this. Have the firm explain in writing its recovery share and any cost deductions. In this listing, Bogin, Munns & Munns, P.A. doesn't state terms for consultations or contingency arrangements. This listing doesn't state NeJame Law's contingency terms either.
According to their own accounts, nine of the ten firms listed offer a free consultation. Contingency work is stated by eight.
What to bring to your first call
The dates of the treatment you're concerned about, along with the date your loved one died
A short timeline in writing, noting when you first suspected an error
Discharge papers and medical charts, with delivery notes included if they're relevant
The names of the hospital, the doctors and any other providers who treated your loved one
Receipts for expenses related to the death, together with medical bills
Messages or letters from the hospital or insurer that you've received
Photos relating to the injuries or care, if you have any
Questions to ask a lawyer
1When someone's died after care like this, how many such claims have you handled?
2Who'll be responsible for handling my family's file?
3Given these dates, what's the filing deadline under Florida's rules?
4In this medical negligence claim, which relatives may recover?
5Will you obtain the medical expert's written opinion?
6How would we pay your fee and case costs if there's no recovery?
7When nothing seems to be happening, how will updates reach us?
8If we meet the attorney handling the case, where would that happen?
Choosing an Orlando lawyer after a death
First, describe what happened. Because this list includes firms handling fatal car accidents and firms focused on hospital negligence, their day-to-day work may be quite different. When you speak to the lawyer, describe the death plainly and explain which treatment you think went wrong. Before calling, you don't need to have a medical explanation.
Check whether they've handled the kind of care involved. While some firms publish injury results rather than death recoveries, Fernandez Firm publishes wrongful death settlements involving hospital care and nursing home bedsores. When a firm lists a large birth injury verdict, it shows work on that particular case. You can't use it to tell what your loved one's claim may be worth.
Find out who'll speak with the medical expert and read the chart. You can't learn that from the firm's name alone.
When asking about similar cases the attorney has handled, find out whether any of them involved a death.
Decide together how updates will reach you. If a message goes unanswered, who should you contact?
Before meeting, check the location. Although some firms list Orlando locations, the office identified for them is in Tampa.
If a consultation is free, you can discuss the matter without paying a charge for that meeting. The firm isn't promising to take your case by offering it. Before meeting with one of the several firms that expressly offer a free consultation here, ask whether reviewing records or obtaining a medical opinion would cost extra.
If you agree to a contingency arrangement, the lawyer receives a share of a recovery but no lawyer's fee when the claim fails. You'll need to consider records and medical opinions as separate case costs. Before agreeing, get written terms explaining who advances those expenses and whether you'd owe them even if there's no recovery.
Don't trust promises about outcomes. If cost terms are unclear or nobody answers your question about who handles your file, those are warning signs too. Although reviews may concern unrelated cases, you can use them to decide what to ask. You're reading general information here, not legal advice. Ask a Florida lawyer which relatives may recover after a medically negligent death and what those rules mean for your family.
Questions people ask
Which firm leads this Orlando wrongful death list?
Because of its medical malpractice focus and published surgical-error result, plus client comments about communication, Percy Martinez comes first in this ranking. The firm doesn't identify its $8.4 million settlement as a wrongful death recovery. For published settlements involving deaths, Fernandez Firm lists those. When choosing, consider the care involved and who would handle your family's claim.
What is the deadline when a death involves medical malpractice in Florida?
Under the medical malpractice filing rule, you have 2 years from the incident or when it was or should have been discovered, subject to an outer limit of 4 years after the incident. That doesn't mean every wrongful death deadline is settled. Ask a Florida lawyer to review your family's death and discovery dates to see which filing rules apply.
Can I speak to an Orlando lawyer without paying for the first consultation?
Nine firms on this list say the first consultation is free. Bogin, Munns & Munns, P.A.'s consultation terms aren't stated in this listing. Ask what you can discuss at the free meeting before sending records, including whether you'd pay for a medical opinion or a closer case review.
What does a medical negligence death claim need before a lawsuit?
Florida requires you to investigate reasonably before suing, and a qualified medical expert's verified written opinion must support the notice of intent you send. Ask which records the lawyer needs to assess the treatment, including who'll arrange for the expert's opinion. While that work proceeds, you still need to watch the filing clock. Have your discovery and treatment dates ready.
Are damages capped after a medically negligent death in Florida?
Under the Florida rules summarized here, no damage caps are enforced. When medical negligence causes a death, though, Florida's wrongful death act limits who can recover non-economic damages. If a loss has no direct bill, such as suffering, these damages cover it. Ask a Florida lawyer which rules govern what your family may recover.
How do Florida's rules treat claims brought for children?
If a claim is brought on a child's behalf on or before the eighth birthday, Florida's child-related rule says the 4-year and 7-year limits don't bar it. You can't use that wording to resolve every case involving a child's death. Ask a Florida lawyer whether the exception applies to the claim and how the other filing requirements fit with it.
How long will a wrongful death malpractice case take?
Florida's rules don't set a standard length for cases. Fernandez Firm describes 4 years of litigation in a hospital case, but that doesn't tell you how long your family's case or anyone else's will take. Ask what needs to happen before filing, including what might hold up the case later. Agree on how you'll hear from the firm during quiet stretches, rather than being left guessing.
What should I do before calling about a loved one's death?
Write down when the treatment happened and when your loved one died, including the date you first thought something might have gone wrong. Gather any records or hospital messages you already have on hand. Explain what worries you about the care, without trying to diagnose the medical error yourself. Ask promptly about the filing deadline, including which relatives Florida's wrongful death act allows to recover after the death.
Does a published verdict tell me what my family's claim is worth?
No. Because the injuries and circumstances differ, these results aren't interchangeable; several don't involve deaths. In Morgan & Morgan's published $37.8 million award, the case concerned severe brain injury after a delayed C-section. No amounts appear with Fernandez Firm's listed wrongful death settlements. Someone else's result can't put a price on your claim, so ask the lawyer how the care your loved one received affects your family's case.
Will a contingency fee leave us owing nothing if the claim fails?
If the claim fails under a contingency arrangement, you don't owe a lawyer's fee. Records and medical opinions can carry separate costs, so ask who would pay those expenses for your case. Eight of the listed firms say they take cases on contingency. Get the cost terms in writing before agreeing, including who pays expenses up front and whether your family would owe them if there's no recovery.
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