The list starts with Schochor, Staton, Goldberg, and Cardea, P.A. Because malpractice is a strong focus of its practice, its published verdicts include a relevant case involving death after back surgery. Before calling, ask who'll review your records and check whether the firm handles the kind of surgical injury you suffered. Ask counsel about filing rules using the Maryland malpractice guide.
4.8181 Google reviewsRated 4.8 out of 5 on Google from 181 reviews
Best for: Surgical injuries and wrongful death
For the family of a man who died after back surgery, Schochor, Staton, Goldberg, and Cardea, P.A. publishes a $645,000 verdict, directly tied to a surgical injury. Another result on the firm's site is a nearly $2 million medical malpractice verdict in Baltimore County. Most of its work involves medical malpractice cases.
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
4.982 Google reviewsRated 4.9 out of 5 on Google from 82 reviews
Best for: Claims involving surgical injuries
For an injury during surgery in Baltimore, Frank Spector Law reports a $5 million settlement; it also lists a separate $3 million Baltimore surgical error settlement. Those cases are worth asking about. When families discuss the firm's malpractice work, these cases offer something more concrete than a general description.
Stood out in our review for how much of its work is medical malpractice and the results it publishes.
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
4.9255 Google reviewsRated 4.9 out of 5 on Google from 255 reviews
Best for: Families prioritizing clear communication
Brown & Barron's reviews repeatedly describe a firm that keeps families informed. Its Google rating is 4.9 across 255 reviews, though that feedback can't tell you how a surgical claim will turn out. The firm's site lists surgical errors and publishes medical malpractice verdicts involving bowel perforation and sepsis.
Stood out in our review for what its clients say 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
Not sure who to call first?
Tell us what happened. A malpractice lawyer who serves Baltimore can look at it with you, and it costs nothing.
4.2119 Google reviewsRated 4.2 out of 5 on Google from 119 reviews
Best for: Surgical claims with published verdicts
Alongside malpractice verdicts of $10 million and $5.5 million, Miller & Zois publishes a $2.5 million verdict involving a surgical error. When you discuss its surgical litigation work, those figures offer somewhere to start. Another claim's possible recovery isn't measured by those amounts.
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
4.9338 Google reviewsRated 4.9 out of 5 on Google from 338 reviews
Best for: Families wanting established local offices
Founded in 1985, Plaxen Adler Muncy, P.A. has a longer documented history of operating than other firms on this list. Besides its Baltimore office, it has Maryland locations in Towson and Columbia, among others. Surgical errors appear on the firm's site as part of its malpractice work.
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
When describing the surgery and injury, include when you learned what happened. To work out your filing date, your lawyer compares Maryland's 5-year deadline from injury with its 3-year deadline from discovery and checks whether any rules for children change the earlier date.
Records and medical assessment
Your lawyer needs to review the medical records before deciding whether a qualified medical opinion could support your claim. Ask how the reviewer will examine your operative notes, and whether you'd pay for that review if the firm decides not to proceed.
File the claim
Filing with Maryland's Health Care Alternative Dispute Resolution Office means you've filed the action, rather than just started a preliminary step. Before you count on a filing date, have your lawyer confirm the deadline and explain what filing with that office means for your case.
Expert certificate and report
You'll need a qualified expert's certificate and an accompanying report to meet Maryland's requirement within 90 days of filing the claim. The certificate and report must explain how a departure from the standard of care caused the injury, not just describe an unwanted surgical outcome.
Pursue a resolution
These firms publish results from cases settled or decided in court. Ask how Maryland's non-economic damages cap applies to your claim, whether you reach an agreement or get a court decision. You can't work out how long your claim will take from the filing rules.
Malpractice claims in Baltimore: the rules that matter
The filing deadline in Maryland
The clock startsOn the day of the injury
Time to start a claim5 yearsMiss it and the claim is usually lost.
At the very most5 yearsafter the treatment, with a few exceptions
Limits on damages in Maryland
Pain and sufferingCapped at $920,000
All damages togetherNo overall cap
Expert paperworkWithin 90 days of filing the claim, file a certificate of a qualified expert attesting to a departure from the standard of care that proximately caused the injury, with the expert's report.
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 your claim fails, a lawyer working on contingency won't receive a legal fee; several firms here describe this arrangement on their sites, with the lawyer taking a share of any recovery. Expenses are a separate question to ask. You'll also face costs for records and medical opinions, along with court fees, so asking about the lawyer's fee won't answer every question about payment. If there's no recovery, you may still owe case expenses rather than have the firm cover those costs for you. Who covers costs upfront, and who will be responsible for them once the case ends? Ask to have those terms put in writing. These firms' fee statements don't tell you what percentage Maryland lawyers usually charge on contingency or how they generally advance case expenses.
You can start with a free consultation at eight of the nine firms, according to their statements. Contingency arrangements appear in four firms' statements.
What to bring to your first call
When the surgery happened and the date you first learned an error might have occurred
Where you had surgery, including the hospital's name and your surgeon's and other treating clinicians' names
Medical records you have, including your operative notes together with your discharge instructions
Treatment and symptoms written in a brief timeline
Records of income you lost after the injury, together with your medical bills
Letters you've received from the hospital or insurer
If you have photos, those showing visible changes or injuries
Your child's birth date and age when injured, if the claim is theirs
Questions to ask a lawyer
1For this operation and type of injury, have you handled claims before?
2When I call, who'll answer and handle my file?
3When is my case's filing deadline?
4For the qualified expert's review and report, who'll make arrangements?
5What calculation determines your contingency fee?
6If the claim fails, what expenses would I owe, and who pays them upfront?
7When there's news about my claim or the medical review, how will I hear?
8What effect might Maryland's damages cap have on my claim?
Choose for your surgical injury, not the largest verdict
When you call, explain what happened after your operation. Even if a firm lists surgical errors on its site, it might not take your injury claim. Tell the intake team how you were harmed after the operation, along with the date of your surgery and the hospital's name. Has the attorney handled claims involving that procedure? If you ask the lawyer about a published bowel perforation verdict or back-surgery death case, remember that your own case may involve quite different circumstances.
The amount alone isn't enough. Morgan & Morgan's listed verdict involves a delayed C-section in Hillsborough County; Frank Spector Law's published surgical settlements concern cases in Baltimore. Look at what happened in those cases, not just how much they paid. When a lawyer hasn't published results, what similar cases can they talk about without revealing another client's private information?
Discuss the deadline before gathering every record
Before you file, ask about the medical review. Within 90 days of filing in Maryland, you must provide a qualified expert's certificate and report explaining how care fell short of the standard of care and caused the injury. Without a medical opinion linking improper care to the harm, the claim lacks needed support. Before the review starts, who'll arrange it, and what records will they need from you?
When my lawyer can't take a call, who'll answer, and who else will handle my file?
Who should I expect updates from? Several firms here get mixed reviews about keeping clients informed, sometimes from reviewers who otherwise praise the firm's work.
Before signing anything, ask for a written explanation of fees and case expenses. Even if the consultation is free, later representation isn't necessarily free.
Why won't they take the case? Ask whether the firm declines cases like yours or sees a problem with the medical facts or filing deadline.
Watch out for anyone promising a particular recovery or urging you to sign before they've explained the fees. The year your claim arose determines Maryland's limit on non-economic damages, which include compensation for pain and suffering. Maryland doesn't put a cap on economic damages. Ask the lawyer to show you the difference between these categories with your bills and losses. This is general information; it isn't legal advice.
Questions people ask
How long do I have to file a surgical malpractice claim in Baltimore?
To file in Maryland, you generally have 5 years from the injury or 3 years from discovering it, with whichever comes first controlling. Filing the claim with the Health Care Alternative Dispute Resolution Office counts as filing the action itself. You may have less than 5 years to file. Because the discovery date can substantially change your deadline, have a Maryland lawyer apply the rule to the dates in your case.
Does an unexpected surgical complication establish malpractice?
An unwanted surgical result isn't enough to satisfy Maryland's requirement for an expert certificate. To meet that requirement, the certificate and report must identify care that fell short of the standard of care and explain how it injured you. How would a qualified expert review your operative notes in light of the treatment you received after the surgery? An initial call doesn't mean the firm has agreed to take your case, and several firms listed here decline some of the inquiries they receive.
Can I speak with a Baltimore malpractice lawyer for free?
Eight firms on this list say they offer a free consultation. Plaxen Adler Muncy, P.A.'s consultation terms aren't stated here, so check before scheduling. You can use that free conversation to ask whether the firm handles your situation. Later legal work or medical review isn't necessarily free. Confirm what's included in the consultation and what would happen before anyone incurs a paid expense.
What would I pay if a contingency case doesn't succeed?
If your claim fails under a contingency arrangement, the lawyer won't receive a legal fee because that fee is paid from a recovery. Firms that say they work on contingency include Brown & Barron, Miller & Zois, Morgan & Morgan and Zev Gershon. What about case expenses, apart from the fee? Read the expense provision before you sign; if you recover nothing, would you still owe money for records or medical opinions?
Are the filing rules different for children injured during surgery?
If a child is injured before age 11, Maryland's 5-year and 3-year periods don't start until that age. If the child was under 16 when injured, the periods begin at age 16 for reproductive-system injuries or injuries caused by a foreign object. When explaining the injury to the lawyer, give your child's birth date too. To find out which rule applies to the claim, ask a Maryland lawyer.
What if my loved one died after surgery?
Among the firms listing wrongful death here are Frank Spector Law and Brown & Barron. For the family of a man who died after back surgery, Schochor, Staton, Goldberg, and Cardea, P.A. publishes a $645,000 verdict. Another family's claim isn't established by that verdict. When you give a Maryland lawyer the treatment and death dates, ask which deadlines apply and who can bring a claim in your circumstances.
How long does a surgical error case take?
Maryland's filing rules don't tell you how long you'll wait for a claim to be resolved. Those rules give you 90 days after filing to provide the qualified expert's certificate and report. Because the firms publish both settlements and court verdicts, you're looking at results from cases that didn't all end the same way. Ask what work needs to be done with your records and how you'll hear about progress, rather than counting on a promised completion date.
Does Maryland limit compensation in medical malpractice cases?
The year the cause of action arose determines which cap Maryland applies to non-economic damages in a medical malpractice case. Compensation for pain and suffering falls into that category. Since Maryland doesn't cap economic damages, have your lawyer explain how your documented financial losses differ from non-economic harm and which year's rule applies to your claim. You can't use a published verdict or settlement to predict what you might recover in your case.
What should I do before calling a surgical error lawyer?
Note when you first learned an error might have occurred, and write that down with your surgery date and the name of the hospital. Start with records already in your possession, especially operative notes and discharge instructions. You can call even if you don't have the complete chart. Have a Maryland lawyer check the filing deadline promptly, and ask the intake team whether it handles the type of injury you suffered.
1
