Hurt by a medical mistake near Plano? These cases are among the hardest and most expensive to bring in Texas. Here are seven verified firms that handle them across Collin County — and the rules you need to understand before you call.
Updated April 05, 202612 min readEditorially independent
Medical malpractice is the toughest kind of injury case to win in Texas, and it is not close. A 2003 tort-reform law caps the money you can recover for pain and suffering, requires you to produce a qualified medical expert's report early, and gives you a short window to file. That is why most personal-injury firms do not take these cases — and why the few firms that do tend to be selective.
Here is the reality in plain terms. Texas caps noneconomic damages — pain, suffering, loss of companionship — at $250,000 against all the physicians and providers combined, with a separate $250,000 cap per healthcare facility (up to $500,000 if more than one facility is involved). Your economic losses, like medical bills and lost earnings, are not capped. Within 120 days of the defendant answering your lawsuit, you must serve an expert report from a qualified physician, or the case is dismissed. And you generally have two years from the date of the malpractice to file.
The firms below all handle medical-malpractice claims for Plano-area patients, and we confirmed each through at least two independent sources — Super Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell, Justia, FindLaw, Avvo, Expertise.com, and each firm's own published case results. We do not accept payment for placement, and we do not write sponsored reviews.
How we picked these 7: We cross-referenced peer rankings and directories (Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Avvo, Martindale-Hubbell, Justia, Expertise.com, FindLaw) and each firm's own published practice pages. Every firm below appeared in at least two independent sources and has a verifiable Plano-area medical malpractice practice. We do not accept payment for placement, and we do not write sponsored reviews. More on our methodology →
1
Hastings Law Firm, P.C.
North Dallas office serves PlanoMedical malpractice only since 2005Board-certified founder
Practice focus: Medical malpractice and hospital negligence, exclusively
Hastings Law Firm has dedicated its entire practice to medical malpractice since 2005 — unusual in a field where most firms dabble. Its North Dallas office at 14850 Quorum Drive directly serves Plano, Richardson, and the surrounding suburbs. Founder Tommy R. Hastings is a board-certified personal-injury trial lawyer who has spent more than 20 years focused exclusively on malpractice, and attorney Brady D. Williams, a nationally recognized malpractice lawyer, leads the North Dallas office.
Why they made the list: A genuinely malpractice-only practice with a board-certified founder and a Plano-adjacent office.
Plano officeAV-Preeminent founderMulti-office DFW firm
Practice focus: Medical malpractice and catastrophic personal injury
Ted B. Lyon & Associates maintains a Plano office among several across the Dallas-Fort Worth area and represents clients statewide. Founding partner Ted B. Lyon Jr. holds Martindale-Hubbell's AV-Preeminent rating, the directory's highest. The firm handles malpractice cases that lead to serious additional medical care, alongside its broader catastrophic-injury and wrongful-death work.
Why they made the list: A Plano office, a deep DFW bench, and a top peer-review rating for the founding partner.
Serves Plano25+ yrs in medical malpractice$110M+ recovered
Practice focus: Medical malpractice, nursing-home and anesthesia negligence
Crowe Arnold & Majors has represented Texas medical-malpractice victims for more than 25 years from its office at 901 Main Street in Dallas, recovering over $110 million for clients across its injury practice. The firm's malpractice work spans anesthesia errors, surgical mistakes, and nursing-home neglect. Its attorneys carry a combined 65-plus years representing injured patients.
Why they made the list: A verifiable multi-decade malpractice track record and a large reported recovery total.
Plano satellite office30+ yrs in practiceTop Injury Firm 2019-2026
Practice focus: Medical malpractice within a broad injury practice
Mullen & Mullen has represented injured Texans for more than 30 years and keeps a satellite office in Plano in addition to its Dallas and Fort Worth locations. Managing partner Regis L. Mullen leads a firm that has been named a Top Injury Law Firm in the Dallas area for eight straight years. Medical malpractice, including birth-injury cases, sits alongside its motor-vehicle and workplace-injury work.
Why they made the list: A long-established family firm with a Plano office and consistent regional recognition.
Practice focus: Medical malpractice and catastrophic injury trials
Christopher S. Ayres leads a Dallas trial firm at 8140 Walnut Hill Lane that takes complex civil cases, including medical malpractice, defective products, and catastrophic personal injury. Ayres carries Super Lawyers recognition and has recovered millions for injured clients. This is a trial-and-appeals shop, which can matter when a hospital's insurer refuses to settle.
Why they made the list: A complex-litigation trial practice for malpractice cases that are likely to be fought hard.
Plano office40+ yrs, $500M+ recoveredBilingual EN/ES
Practice focus: Medical negligence and birth injury
Bailey & Galyen is a large, long-established Texas firm with an office in Plano and more than 40 years of personal-injury practice, reporting over $500 million in judgments and settlements across its caseload. Its medical-malpractice team handles birth-injury and medical-negligence claims on contingency, answers its phones around the clock, and offers Spanish-language service and weekend consultations.
Why they made the list: A genuine Plano office, deep resources, and 24/7 bilingual intake for malpractice claims.
Plano office (550 E 15th St)Board-certified PIBilingual EN/ES
Practice focus: Medical malpractice and products liability for EN/ES speakers
Founded in 2012 and based at 550 East 15th Street in Plano, R.E. López & Morales is one of the few firms here actually headquartered in the city. Its attorneys are Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and the firm handles medical-malpractice and products-liability claims as part of a fully bilingual injury practice serving Collin County.
Why they made the list: Board-certified personal-injury trial lawyers based right in Plano, with full Spanish-language service.
Tell us what happened and when. Medical-malpractice deadlines in Texas are short, so the sooner a firm reviews your records the better. Free, confidential, no obligation.
How to choose between them in Plano
Insist on real malpractice experience. This is a specialty. A firm that mostly does car wrecks will struggle with the expert-report rule and the damage caps. Hastings does malpractice exclusively; Crowe Arnold & Majors has 25-plus years in it. Ask each firm how many malpractice cases it has tried.
Ask how they handle the 120-day expert report. Texas requires a qualified physician's report served within 120 days of the defendant's answer, or the case is dismissed. A serious malpractice firm will already have a network of medical experts. Ask who they use and how fast.
Understand the damage caps before you sign. Pain-and-suffering damages are capped at $250,000 against the doctors and $250,000 per facility. Your medical bills and lost wages are not capped. A good firm will be candid about what your case is realistically worth under these limits.
Move quickly on the deadline. You generally have two years from the malpractice to file, and gathering records and an expert report takes time. Do not wait until month 23 to call.
What medical malpractice help typically costs in Plano
Medical-malpractice cases are expensive to build because they require expert physicians, but you do not pay those costs up front. Here is the real structure for Plano in 2026:
Attorney fee: Contingency, typically 33% to 40% of any recovery — you pay nothing unless the firm wins or settles your case.
Expert and case costs: Malpractice cases are cost-heavy. Qualified physician experts, records, and depositions commonly run $20,000 to $100,000+, advanced by the firm and repaid from the recovery. Ask whether you owe them if the case is lost.
The $250,000 noneconomic cap: Texas limits pain-and-suffering recovery to $250,000 against physicians and $250,000 per facility (up to $500,000 across multiple facilities). This is the single biggest factor in what a case is worth.
Uncapped economic damages: Past and future medical bills, lost earnings, and the cost of ongoing care are not capped — which is why severe-injury and lifelong-care cases remain worth pursuing.
Because the noneconomic cap is fixed, malpractice firms are selective: a case usually needs serious, lasting harm and clear economic losses to justify the expert costs. A free review will tell you quickly whether your case clears that bar.
How long it takes
Texas malpractice cases follow a strict, front-loaded schedule. Rough expectations:
Statute of limitations — 2 years: You generally have two years from the date of the malpractice to file. A few exceptions exist, but assume the clock is running and call early.
Pre-suit investigation — 1 to 4 months: The firm gathers your medical records and has a physician review them to decide whether the standard of care was breached. Weak cases are screened out here.
Expert report — within 120 days of the answer: Once you sue and the defendant answers, you must serve a qualified expert report within 120 days or the case is dismissed.
Litigation and trial — 1.5 to 3+ years: Discovery, depositions of treating doctors, mediation, and trial if it does not settle. Malpractice cases run longer than ordinary injury claims because of the expert work involved.
Red flags to watch for when hiring a medical malpractice lawyer in Plano
Guaranteed outcomes. No ethical attorney can promise a specific result. If a firm guarantees a win, a number, or a court ruling, walk away.
The disappearing senior partner. You meet a named partner at intake, then never hear from them again while an unsupervised junior runs the file. Ask in writing who handles your matter day to day.
Pressure to sign on the spot. Reputable firms give you the engagement letter in writing and time to read it. High-pressure intake is a volume-mill signal.
No verifiable track record. Look for named results, peer rankings, board certifications, or bar recognition — not "we have helped thousands of clients."
Vague fees. Every legitimate firm will put the fee structure, what is covered, and what triggers extra charges in a written engagement letter.
10 questions to ask in your free consultation
Most of the firms on this list offer a free or low-cost initial call. Use it. Bring a written list and write down the answers, then compare across two or three firms before you sign anything.
Who, specifically, will handle my matter day to day? Get a name and a direct email, not just the firm.
How many matters like mine have you handled in the last three years? You want a number, not a brochure line.
What is your fee, and what does it cover? Get the structure in writing before you sign.
What out-of-pocket costs am I responsible for, and when? Filing fees, records, and experts add up - ask now.
What is the realistic range of outcomes? A good lawyer gives a range; a weak one promises the high end.
How long will this take? An honest estimate, with the assumptions stated.
What is my deadline, and is it at risk? Many medical malpractice matters carry hard filing deadlines.
How often will I hear from you? Set the communication cadence now.
What can I do to help my own case? The best lawyers will give you homework.
What is the worst-case outcome? A lawyer who refuses to discuss downside risk is selling you something.
What to bring to your Plano consultation
You will get more out of the first call if you arrive organized. For most medical malpractice matters, gather:
A short written timeline. Dates, names, and what happened, in order.
The key documents. Any contracts, letters, agreements, court orders, or filings you have received.
Your correspondence. Relevant emails, texts, or messages - and do not delete anything.
Any deadlines you know about. A court date, a signing deadline, or an agency notice.
Your questions. The 10 above are a good place to start.
If you are not sure whether something is relevant, bring it anyway. It is easier for a lawyer to set aside what does not matter than to chase down what you left at home.
Talk to a vetted Medical Malpractice attorney in Plano
Tell us about your situation. We'll match you with one of these firms or a similar one. Free, confidential, no obligation.
Frequently asked questions about medical malpractice lawyers in Plano
Do I have a medical malpractice case?
Maybe. A bad outcome alone is not malpractice — you have to show a provider fell below the accepted standard of care and that the breach caused real harm. The only way to know is to have a malpractice firm pull your records and have a physician review them, which the firms above do for free.
How much does a medical malpractice lawyer cost in Plano?
Contingency, usually 33% to 40% of any recovery, with no fee unless the case succeeds. The firm advances the expert and case costs, which in malpractice can run from $20,000 to well over $100,000, and is repaid from the recovery.
What is the deadline to sue for malpractice in Texas?
Generally two years from the date of the malpractice. Because the case needs records and an expert report before filing, you should call well before the deadline — ideally within the first several months.
How much can I recover under Texas's damage caps?
Pain-and-suffering damages are capped at $250,000 against the physicians and providers combined, plus $250,000 per healthcare facility (up to $500,000 for multiple facilities). Economic damages — medical bills, lost wages, future care — are not capped.
What is the 120-day expert report rule?
Within 120 days of the defendant filing its answer, you must serve a written report from a qualified physician explaining how the standard of care was breached and how that caused your injury. Miss it and the case is dismissed with the defendant's costs. This is why malpractice firms keep medical experts on call.
Why do so few firms take these cases?
The damage caps limit the upside, the expert costs are high, and the expert-report rule makes early dismissal easy. Firms that take malpractice cases have to be selective, which is why the list above is shorter than for car accidents or divorce.
What should I bring to a malpractice consultation?
Any medical records, test results, discharge papers, and bills you have, a written timeline of your treatment, and the names of every provider and facility involved. Do not request records in a way that tips off the provider before a lawyer advises you.
One last thing. Choosing a lawyer is personal. Read the reviews. Call two or three firms before you sign. Ask each one: How many matters like mine have you handled in the last three years? The answer tells you a lot. — The LawFirmSquare team
LawFirmSquare is a directory. We do not represent clients or refer cases for a fee.
Helpful next steps
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