Tort reform in Texas has somewhat reduced the liability burden on hospitals and long-term care facilities. As a result, individual health care providers have increasingly become targets of lawsuits, and many of those health care professionals have relatively low, eroding insurance limit policies. Those individuals depend on our lawyers to protect their reputations and livelihoods.

Thompson Coe’s trial lawyers regularly defend health care providers and health care institutions against claims alleging negligence, wrongful death and patient abuse. We have represented numerous different types of health care providers, including:

• Hospitals
• Skilled nursing facilities
• Assisted living facilities
• Intermediate care facilities
• Physicians
• Physician’s Assistants
• Registered and Licensed Vocational Nurses
• Nurse Practitioners
• Psychologists
• Licensed Professional Counselors
• Marriage and Family Therapists
• Professional associations of physicians
• Home and community support service agencies
• Home health care providers and agencies.

Our Health Care practice attorneys have an intimate understanding the laws governing health care liability claims in the State of Texas, most notably, the Medical Liability Act – codified at Chapter 74 of the Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code. Thompson Coe’s attorneys diligently assert the remedies and protections provided to health care providers and institutions under Chapter 74, including damage caps and strict adherence to the expert report requirements imposed on claimants under the Act. We endeavor to evaluate claims fairly, honestly, and as early as possible in the litigation process.

In addition, Thompson Coe attorneys have represented the long-term care industry for many years. We have handled claims against skilled nursing facilities alleging abuse and neglect, malnutrition, dehydration, pressure sores, medication errors, falls and restraint issues, elopement, and understaffing, among other claims. The emotional allegations involved range from failure to properly diagnose and treat serious medical conditions to abuse of the elderly in long-term care facilities. Our defense of medical professionals is aggressive and informed, and we have the knowledge and resources to counter plaintiffs’ often emotional arguments with the factual requirements of the law, medicine and science.

We understand that being sued for professional negligence is one of the most stressful events a health care professional will experience, and we help guide our clients through that experience. We also know that under many policies of professional liability insurance currently being written in Texas, every dollar spent on liability defense erodes the indemnity benefit under the policy, so we proudly offer our clients both competent and cost-effective representation.

Our practice includes representing clients in cases involving, among others:

• Extensive trial experience defending physicians, nurses, therapists, hospitals, physician organizations, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, intermediate care facilities and brain-injury rehabilitation facilities, and home health care agencies.
• Representing physicians before the Texas Medical Board.
• Representing nurses, nurse practitioners, social workers, and licensed professional counselors before their respective licensing boards.