Twenty chapters come down to one idea. A claim has to stand on things other people can check. A second doctor has to put a signature behind the statement that the standard of care was not met. The medical record has to show what happened and when. A filing deadline can end a claim before anyone reads the records, and the insurance behind each name decides what a recovery can look like in practice. That is why the work is in the groundwork, and why it takes months before I can tell a family whether there is a case.
The Foreword said a birth injury claim rests on one finding: that care fell below the standard and caused lasting harm. Everything since has been about how that finding gets made and what Maryland lets a family recover once it is made. A bad outcome is not always malpractice. A very small share of the people who call me become cases, and when I cannot help, I tell them why. Even when there is a case, I cannot promise how it ends, so I ask every client to manage expectations.
Families come to me wanting more than the rules can give. They want what happened to be acknowledged, and they want the system held accountable. I believe the only way to get accountability from the medical industry is to bring a lawsuit. I cannot promise an apology. I can't turn back the hands of time, and I wish that I could. What I can do is listen first and tell you the truth about what I see. Whether to bring a lawsuit, and whether to settle, are your decisions. I will not make them for you.
A lawsuit is like going into a foreign country, and I hope this book has worked as your map. When you are ready to talk, contact the firm.