To rank Boston wrongful death firms, this evidence-based 2026 list weighs their practice focus and published results, along with reviews and professional history.
Because Lubin & Meyer PC focuses on medical malpractice and publishes wrongful death results, it leads this list. Before calling, decide what to ask about the lawyer handling your family's case and how you'd pay fees and case costs. Ask about deaths like this, too. For the malpractice filing rules discussed here, see the Massachusetts law guide.
3.875 Google reviewsRated 3.8 out of 5 on Google from 75 reviews
Best for: Deaths linked to medical care
After a woman died following elective hernia surgery, Lubin & Meyer PC published a $17 million result in 2025. On its site, you'll also find wrongful death results involving untreated infection and inadequate anticoagulation. With those results and its strong medical malpractice focus, the firm earns its position on this list.
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
4.9152 Google reviewsRated 4.9 out of 5 on Google from 152 reviews
Best for: Fatal missed diagnosis claims
When families review Crowe & Harris, LLP, they repeatedly praise its steady communication and clear explanations. Although some reviews flag conflicting office hours, the firm has a 4.9 Google rating across 152 reviews. For the family of a man whose colon cancer death was preventable, it reports a $1 million settlement among its published results.
Stood out in our review for what its clients say 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
5.0154 Google reviewsRated 5.0 out of 5 on Google from 154 reviews
Best for: Nursing home death concerns
Since its founding in 1946, Feinberg & Alban PC has developed a practice that includes medical and nursing home malpractice. On its site, you'll also find wrongful death work. With a 5.0 Google rating across 154 reviews, the firm often earns praise for patient explanations and timely replies.
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 Boston can look at it with you, and it costs nothing.
4.9978 Google reviewsRated 4.9 out of 5 on Google from 978 reviews
Best for: Families comparing malpractice results
Jeffrey Glassman's published record includes a $9,020,000 medical malpractice result for a baby who acquired cerebral palsy during a medical procedure. The Boston firm also reports a $1.8 million nursing malpractice result. Its site shows wrongful death and nursing home neglect work, but neither of those published outcomes is identified as a wrongful death case.
Stood out in our review for the results it publishes 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
5.0153 Google reviewsRated 5.0 out of 5 on Google from 153 reviews
Best for: Post-surgical infection death claims
Before signing, read how d'Oliveira & Associates, p.c. arranges joint responsibility. For a $7.5 million settlement involving infection and amputation after ankle surgery, the firm's site says it shared responsibility with another medical malpractice attorney. For a surgical infection followed by paralysis and death, it also publishes a $1.95 million settlement.
Stood out in our review for the results it publishes 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 you describe the care and death, include when your family learned that something might have gone wrong. Don't assume you can wait before a lawyer assesses the 3-year filing deadline and the 7-year outer limit.
Records and medical review
When reviewing the chart, the lawyer considers what medical support your claim needs. Beforehand, ask who gets missing records and pays for medical opinions. Whether the care supports a malpractice claim should be part of that review.
Filing the complaint
If the firm accepts your case and moves ahead, filing a complaint is how it starts the lawsuit. To understand who may bring a claim after a death and which Massachusetts filing rules apply to the care, ask your lawyer.
Medical malpractice tribunal
Before proceeding, every medical malpractice case goes to a tribunal with a judge and a physician, plus a lawyer. To support the claim, the plaintiff presents an offer of proof. If the tribunal finds for the defendant, a $6,000 bond is required to continue.
Further litigation and resolution
Before settlement or trial, a continuing case may need more records and testimony as well as medical opinions. Find out how you'll receive updates and approve decisions. From these published results, you can't determine how long your family's case would take.
Malpractice claims in Boston: the rules that matter
The filing deadline in Massachusetts
The clock startsWhen you found out, or should have
Time to start a claim3 yearsMiss it and the claim is usually lost.
At the very most7 yearsafter the treatment, with a few exceptions
Limits on damages in Massachusetts
Pain and sufferingCapped at $500,000
All damages togetherNo overall cap
Expert paperworkNo affidavit, but every case goes to a medical malpractice tribunal (a judge, a physician and a lawyer) where the plaintiff makes an offer of proof.
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.
When several firms on this list describe contingency fees, they mean the lawyer takes a share of money recovered and charges no lawyer's fee if the claim fails. That doesn't cover case costs. Because medical records and opinions cost money, court fees can leave payment questions even if the lawyer's fee depends on recovery. From the firms' listed terms, you can't tell who advances those costs or pays them after a failed claim. Before signing, ask for a written explanation of what comes out of any recovery. If the tribunal finds for the defendant in a medical malpractice case and you continue, ask who would pay the $6,000 bond.
A free consultation is offered by nine of the ten listed firms, according to their statements. For five, contingency fees are a stated option.
What to bring to your first call
Your written timeline of treatment, including the death and the point when you first suspected a problem
Whatever medical records you have, with discharge notes as well as procedure notes
Names identifying the doctors and hospitals involved
The medications listed, along with instructions you received after treatment
Bills for the care and any related receipts
Hospital or insurer correspondence, including messages and letters
Any photos that might help you explain what happened
Questions that your family wants to have answered
Questions to ask a lawyer
1When handling deaths, have you dealt with this diagnosis or treatment?
2Who will work on our file, including reviewing the medical records?
3If you take our case, will your firm handle it or share responsibility with another firm?
4When must our family file this claim?
5Before the malpractice tribunal, how would you prepare our offer of proof?
6If there's no recovery, what do we pay in fees and case costs?
7If we need the tribunal bond, who would fund it?
8When decisions come up, how will our family participate and receive updates?
Choose for the circumstances of the death
Start by explaining what happened to your loved one. Although some firms also handle other wrongful death claims, most of this list concerns deaths connected to medical care. If a firm publishes a birth injury award, that doesn't establish experience with fatal missed cancer diagnoses. When you ask about the same treatment, listen for a clear explanation of what the lawyer would need to investigate.
Have the dates you know ready. When you knew or reasonably should have known that care caused harm, the claim generally accrues; Massachusetts malpractice law generally requires filing within 3 years after that point. From the act or omission, the 7-year outer limit runs. Because neither clock necessarily starts at death, ask a Massachusetts lawyer which rules apply to your family's claim.
Use the first conversation to check fit
1
Ask for comparable work
Describe which diagnosis or procedure was involved. If a firm mentions a settlement, ask whether it handled that case itself or shared responsibility. In some published malpractice cases, d'Oliveira & Associates, p.c. says it shared responsibility with another firm.
2
Identify your contact
Before hiring, ask which attorney reviews the records and who answers your everyday questions. Although several firms earn praise for communication, complaints about follow-up appear for others. Agree on how your family gets updates before you sign.
3
Read the payment terms
If a consultation is free, you can discuss your claim without paying for that conversation. You'll still have payment questions. Before hiring, ask about contingency fees and who advances the case costs. If the case recovers no money, find out what you could owe.
Before hiring, ask how the firm prepares for the medical malpractice tribunal. To support the claim, Massachusetts requires the plaintiff to present a showing called an offer of proof. If the tribunal finds for the defendant, you'll need a $6,000 bond to continue. Ask the lawyer to explain how that requirement could affect your family's finances.
If someone promises a result, be wary. Because published settlements concern other families' cases, they can't tell you what yours would recover.
If the firm won't explain recovery deductions or identify who's handling your file, stop and ask for answers.
If you consult a hospital's CMS star rating, it won't show whether care caused a death. What would the chart and medical review need to show? Ask.
Questions people ask
How soon should a Boston family contact a lawyer after a death linked to medical care?
When you suspect care caused harm, call a lawyer rather than trying to calculate the filing deadline yourself. After a malpractice claim accrues, Massachusetts generally allows 3 years to file, with a 7-year outer limit that runs from the act or omission. Don't assume either clock starts at death. To understand how those deadlines fit your family's circumstances, ask a Massachusetts lawyer to explain them.
Which firm leads this Boston list?
Because of its medical malpractice focus and published results, Lubin & Meyer PC leads, with a $17 million wrongful death result involving surgery in 2025 among those results. For some families, it won't be the right fit. Although reviews praise communication, some complain about intake. When you explain your family's concerns on the first call, pay attention to how the firm responds.
Can we speak with a lawyer without paying for the first consultation?
Nine of the ten listed firms say they offer a free consultation. Breakstone, White & Gluck's consultation terms aren't stated here. Confirm the arrangement when you call. A free conversation doesn't establish the fee terms for a lawsuit, whether the firm will accept the case, or who pays for records and medical opinions.
What does a contingency fee mean for our family?
When money is recovered, a contingency fee gives the lawyer a share. There's no lawyer's fee if the claim fails. Although five listed firms say they use this arrangement, ask separately who advances case costs and whether your family could owe them even if the case brings no recovery. Before you sign, make sure you've read and understood the written payment terms.
Does Massachusetts cap damages when medical care causes a wrongful death?
Although Massachusetts caps general damages at $500,000, wrongful death isn't subject to that cap. If the cap does apply, broad exceptions remain for serious injuries. Without a cap, you still don't have a promised recovery or established case value. To learn what damages your family's particular claim may allow, ask a Massachusetts lawyer to explain.
What is the medical malpractice tribunal?
For this required review, a judge and a physician sit on the tribunal with a lawyer. Although Massachusetts doesn't require an affidavit of merit, the plaintiff must support the medical malpractice claim by presenting an offer of proof. If the tribunal finds for the defendant, continuing requires the plaintiff to post a $6,000 bond. Beforehand, ask how your lawyer prepares for that review and deals with the bond.
Are filing rules different when a child is involved?
For a minor's malpractice lawsuit, Massachusetts generally allows 3 years after accrual to file. Although a child under 6 has until the ninth birthday, the 7-year outer limit still applies, with an exception for foreign objects. If the action concerns a child's wrongful death, these rules don't automatically govern it. To find your family's filing deadline, ask a Massachusetts lawyer which rule applies.
How long will a medical wrongful death case take?
You can't get a reliable timetable for your claim from this list's published results. Before a malpractice case can move forward, it requires record review and a tribunal; a continuing lawsuit may reach settlement or trial. From dollar amounts alone, you can't tell how long your family might wait. When you speak with the lawyer, ask which steps they expect and what might delay your case.
What should we do first if we believe a loved one died because of medical care?
When you write down treatment dates, include when you learned there might be a problem. Once you've collected the records and hospital messages you already have, ask a Massachusetts lawyer to review the filing deadline. After your loved one's death, ask who may bring a claim. Because these rules address medical malpractice, ask the lawyer to confirm how they fit the wrongful death claim you're considering.
Can hospital ratings or online reviews tell us whether we have a case?
To learn what happened during your loved one's care, neither is enough. While CMS rates hospitals, law firm reviews describe the service clients received. Whether the chart supports a malpractice claim isn't something they establish. When deciding what to ask about communication, reviews can help. To evaluate your loved one's death, ask the lawyer which records they'd need and what medical opinions would be necessary.
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