Because Brown, Christie & Green Law Firm focuses on malpractice and covers HIE claims, its recognition in plaintiff medical malpractice law puts it first here. Before calling the firm, find out who would handle your child's case. Ask what happened in comparable birth-injury cases, then check the filing rules in our Texas malpractice guide.
4.525 Google reviewsRated 4.5 out of 5 on Google from 25 reviews
Best for: Families seeking malpractice-focused representation
Medical malpractice is the focus at Brown, Christie & Green Law Firm. Because its site covers HIE and birth-injury claims, that work helps support its place here, as does its recognition in plaintiff medical malpractice law. Its attorneys include Charles Brown.
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
4.38 Google reviewsRated 4.3 out of 5 on Google from 8 reviews
Best for: Birth injury claims
Brown Trial Firm's clearest published result is a $10.3 million jury verdict for a child's lifetime medical expenses. The firm says a jury in Brownsville, Texas, returned that verdict. Its practice centers on birth injury; its site addresses HIE and cerebral palsy.
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
4.73,942 Google reviewsRated 4.7 out of 5 on Google from 3942 reviews
Best for: Delayed C-section injury claims
In a case involving a delayed C-section and severe brain injury, Morgan & Morgan reports a $37.8 million verdict from 2007. For that Hillsborough County family, the attorneys were Armando Lauritano and Keith Carter. Houston wasn't where it happened.
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 Houston can look at it with you, and it costs nothing.
4.58 Google reviewsRated 4.5 out of 5 on Google from 8 reviews
Best for: Hypoxic birth injury claims
Among Van Wey & Metzler's published results is “Birth Injury Resulting in Perinatal Hypoxic Encephalopathy (Brain Damage).” It's a case that directly fits this list. Although no amount is disclosed, the firm's published work includes brain damage after an anesthesia error and a birth injury involving cerebral palsy.
Stood out in our review for 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
4.929 Google reviewsRated 4.9 out of 5 on Google from 29 reviews
Best for: Families prioritizing responsive communication
When clients discuss Davis & Davis, Attorneys at Law, they repeatedly mention prompt replies and guidance that feels warm and honest. Across 29 Google reviews, the firm has a 4.9 rating. Although that says something about service, it doesn't prove results in HIE cases.
Stood out in our review for how much of its work is medical malpractice 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 speak to a lawyer, explain what happened. With no general discovery rule, Texas generally allows 2 years from the breach or completion of treatment or hospitalization. Even if some records are missing, ask the lawyer to assess your deadline now.
Records and medical review
After reviewing the available medical records, the lawyer considers which medical opinions are needed for the claim. To prepare, ask which delivery and hospital records you should gather. Because Texas requires an expert report for each defendant, discuss those reports early.
Filing the complaint
Once the lawyer accepts the case and proceeds, the complaint has to be filed by the deadline that applies. If the child is under 12, Texas allows filing until the fourteenth birthday; otherwise, the 2-year rule applies regardless of age.
Serving expert reports
Within 120 days after each defendant files an answer, that defendant must be served with an expert report and the expert's CV. If that requirement isn't met, fees and dismissal with prejudice follow. Once dismissed that way, the claim can't be refiled.
Assessing a possible recovery
As the claim moves forward, ask what Texas's damage limits mean for it. For health care liability cases, Texas caps non-economic damages, while death cases face a separate inflation-indexed cap on total damages. Your result isn't something a published verdict can predict.
Malpractice claims in Houston: the rules that matter
The filing deadline in Texas
The clock startsOn the day of the treatment
Time to start a claim2 yearsMiss it and the claim is usually lost.
At the very most10 yearsafter the treatment, with a few exceptions
Limits on damages in Texas
Pain and sufferingCapped at $250,000
All damages togetherNo overall cap
Expert paperworkServe an expert report and CV for each defendant within 120 days after that defendant's answer is filed; failure leads to dismissal with prejudice and fees.
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.
Of the firms listed here, four say they work on contingency. If the claim fails, there's no lawyer's fee; otherwise, the lawyer receives a share of any recovery, though Brown Trial Firm's contingency terms aren't disclosed. Expenses aren't included. Along with court fees, those expenses can cover getting records and obtaining medical opinions. While the claim is underway, who pays those costs, and would you still owe them if it fails? You won't find that answer in the firms' disclosed terms. Before you sign, ask for a written explanation of what comes out of any recovery and which expenses you'll have to pay.
Of the five firms listed here, four say you can get a free consultation. Working on contingency is also disclosed by four.
What to bring to your first call
A timeline you've written of the pregnancy, including delivery and the hospital stay
Dates when treatment and hospitalization took place
Any medical records you have, including delivery notes
Names of the hospitals involved and the doctors
Records where HIE or your child's brain injury is mentioned
Documentation of expenses, along with medical bills
Letters you've received from the hospital or insurer
Questions about how you'll communicate, along with fees and deadlines
Questions to ask a lawyer
1Have you handled HIE claims or birth-injury cases like these?
2Whose responsibility will my child's file be?
3Given our circumstances, what's the filing deadline?
4To assess the claim, what records will you need?
5What's your plan for arranging Texas's required expert report?
6What's the payment arrangement for your fee and case expenses?
7If the claim fails, are expenses still owed?
8When we call, how will you respond and give updates?
Choose a Houston lawyer around your child's case
Before checking the headline rating, look at birth-injury work. If the lawyer has handled HIE claims, ask what happened in those cases rather than stopping there. For a child's lifetime medical expenses, Brown Trial Firm publishes a verdict, while Van Wey & Metzler lists a perinatal hypoxic encephalopathy result with no amount disclosed. Although those cases give you something specific to discuss, neither tells you how much your child's claim might recover.
Ask whose job it is to review the chart. As Morgan & Morgan's Hillsborough County verdict shows, a published result may come from outside Houston or involve attorneys other than yours. When you ask who'll handle your file, find out how you'll receive updates, too. If a medical question is beyond what the receptionist can answer, ask how it will reach the attorney.
Before the lawyer decides whether to accept the claim, ask which records they need. Bring the records you have, then discuss getting the rest.
For Texas's expert-report requirement, ask how the firm would get the medical review done. The legal questions aren't answered by an HIE diagnosis alone.
Before you sign, read the written fee agreement together. When discussing payment, separate the lawyer's fee from expenses such as medical opinions.
When parents need updates, how does the firm communicate? Although reviews here mention prompt replies, some describe calls left unanswered.
When a consultation is free, you can discuss the case without a consultation charge. Even so, the firm hasn't agreed to accept your claim. Of the firms listed here, four say they offer one. If payment is on contingency, the lawyer gets a share of a recovery, but no lawyer's fee if the claim fails. When discussing expenses, ask how the firm handles them separately.
If someone promises an outcome or skips over the deadline, be wary; the same goes for refusing to explain the fee agreement. Other families' cases produced those published verdicts. When you call, ask who will do the work and listen for a clear explanation of what happens next. As you talk, notice whether the lawyer hears and answers your questions. This gives general information, not legal advice.
Questions people ask
Which Houston firm leads this HIE lawyer list?
Because Brown, Christie & Green Law Firm focuses on medical malpractice and covers HIE claims, its recognition in plaintiff medical malpractice law puts it first in this ranking. Although it discloses nursing-home verdicts, those aren't an HIE recovery. Before you choose it, discuss comparable birth-injury cases and find out whether the firm's work fits what your family needs.
How soon do I need to contact a Texas malpractice lawyer?
Make that call promptly. Even without every record, don't put off calling. With no general discovery rule for these claims, Texas generally requires filing within 2 years of the breach or completion of treatment or hospitalization. There's also a 10-year outer limit under the statute. When you give a Texas lawyer your case dates, ask what those dates mean for the deadline to file.
Does my child have a different filing deadline?
Under Texas's rule, a child under 12 has until the fourteenth birthday to file. Otherwise, the 2-year rule applies regardless of age. Don't use the diagnosis date alone to calculate the deadline: Texas has no general discovery rule for these claims. Give a Texas lawyer your child's birth date and relevant treatment dates so the lawyer can assess how the rule applies.
Can I speak with a Houston HIE lawyer for free?
According to Brown, Christie & Green Law Firm, Brown Trial Firm, Morgan & Morgan, and Davis & Davis, Attorneys at Law, their consultations are free. There's no disclosure of Van Wey & Metzler's consultation terms. Even with a free call, your case hasn't been accepted. Before calling, confirm with the office that you won't pay a consultation charge and find out what information you should bring.
Will I have to pay a lawyer if the claim fails?
If a claim fails, there's no lawyer's fee under contingency payment, which four firms on this list say they use. There's no disclosure of Brown Trial Firm's contingency terms. Expenses need their own discussion. If there's no recovery, would you owe for medical opinions or records, or have to pay court fees? Before you sign the written agreement, read what it says about expenses.
What does Texas require besides filing the lawsuit?
Within 120 days after each defendant files an answer, Texas requires an expert report and CV for that defendant. If you miss that requirement, fees and dismissal with prejudice follow, so you cannot refile the claim. When discussing each defendant's report deadline, ask how the lawyer's firm will get the medical review done and meet that deadline.
How long will an HIE case take?
You can't establish how long an HIE claim takes from the firms' published information. After each defendant files an answer, Texas allows 120 days to meet the expert-report deadline. That doesn't tell you when the case must end. When you discuss the next stage, ask what still needs review and how you'll hear from the lawyer if the firm's expectations change.
What if my child or another loved one died?
So a Texas lawyer can assess the claim and its deadline, share the treatment dates and explain the circumstances of the death. Along with caps on non-economic damages in health care liability claims, Texas sets a separate inflation-indexed cap on total damages in death cases. Among the firms here that list wrongful death as a practice area or site topic is Brown, Christie & Green Law Firm.
Do large birth-injury verdicts show what our case is worth?
What your family's claim might recover isn't something a published result can tell you. For a child's lifetime medical expenses, Brown Trial Firm reports a $10.3 million verdict, while Morgan & Morgan reports a $37.8 million delayed C-section verdict from 2007. They're not the same circumstances. When speaking to a lawyer, ask how your circumstances compare and what Texas's damage caps could mean for a possible recovery.
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