Who Are the Best Medical Lawyers in Houston?
The best medical malpractice lawyers in Houston are the ones who limit their work to medical injury, carry board certification in trial law, and can point to verdicts rather than brochures. By those measures the names that recur are Tommy Hastings, Jack McGehee, and Richard Warren Mithoff, three Houston trial lawyers whose records predate the marketing.
Choosing this kind of lawyer is unlike choosing any other. A medical malpractice case is a contest of expert witnesses, fought on ground the defense knows well, and a lawyer’s command of the medicine counts for as much as command of a courtroom. The seven attorneys below were selected for that command. The list names each one, the firm behind them, and the credential that earns the ranking.
The Best Medical Malpractice Attorneys in Houston, TX (Updated for 2026)
1. Tommy Hastings, Hastings Law Firm
Tommy Hastings did something most trial lawyers would call imprudent. Licensed in 2001, he built a practice that takes only healthcare-injury cases, and then handled the full range of them, from medical malpractice and birth injury to the large medical product and drug liability matters that often carry the highest stakes. He is board certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a credential fewer than two percent of Texas attorneys hold, and in 2025 he was seated on the board of the American Board of Trial Advocates, a body that counts trials rather than billboards.
The firm has handled over 6,000 health-care injury cases. Two suggest the range: a 19.7 million dollar settlement in a failure-to-diagnose case, and a 17.4 million dollar settlement in a medical-products case involving contaminated medication that injured children across the country. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
What distinguishes the practice is less visible than its verdicts. Hastings Law Firm works as a national firm and keeps an in-house medical review team, board-certified patient advocates, and several attorneys who once defended hospitals and doctors and therefore understand precisely how the other side assembles a defense.
2. Jack McGehee, McGehee Chang Feiler
Jack McGehee has practiced since 1980 and has been board certified in Personal Injury Trial Law since 1989. His firm, McGehee Chang Feiler, concentrates on medical malpractice and birth injury, the cases that turn on a genuine dispute over the standard of care, and his long membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates reflects a career measured in verdicts rather than settlements quietly taken.
3. Richard Warren Mithoff, Mithoff Law
Few names in the Houston plaintiffs’ bar carry the weight of Richard Warren Mithoff, who has practiced since 1972 and sits among the top tier of Texas Super Lawyers as a fellow of both the American Board of Trial Advocates and the American College of Trial Lawyers, distinctions held by a small fraction of the bar. From a downtown office his firm handles surgical errors, birth injuries, and misdiagnosis, generally on the more complex and higher-value end of the docket.
4. Matthew Shaffer, Schechter, Shaffer & Harris
Matthew Shaffer, licensed in 1987 and board certified in Personal Injury Trial Law, anchors the medical-malpractice work at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, a Houston firm whose roots reach back to 1964. His cases run to the staples of the field, misdiagnosis, surgical error, and birth injury, handled with the institutional depth a six-decade firm can bring.
5. Blaine Tucker, Tucker Injury Law
Blaine Tucker offers something the larger firms cannot, the certified trial lawyer himself on the file rather than an associate two doors down. Licensed in 1992 and board certified in Personal Injury Trial Law, Tucker handles medical-injury claims within a focused injury practice, and the client who hires him deals with him.
6. Nhan Nguyen, WestLoop Law
Nhan Nguyen holds two degrees that rarely sit together, a medical degree and a law degree, and the combination is the point. A physician who is also a lawyer can read an operative note or a panel of labs without waiting on a retained expert to translate, which shortens the distance between a confusing chart and a workable theory. Licensed in 2003, he leads WestLoop Law, where medical malpractice is a named practice.
7. Chelsie King Garza, Chelsie King Garza P.C.
Chelsie King Garza built a North Houston practice around the cases that ask the most of a lawyer, birth injuries and catastrophic medical malpractice. Licensed around 2000, she recorded one of the larger medical-malpractice verdicts reported in Texas in 2012, according to Thomson Reuters. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
How the Attorneys Compare
| Attorney | Firm | Board Certified (TBLS) | Year Licensed | Recognition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tommy Hastings | Hastings Law Firm | Yes | 2001 | ABOTA board member (2025); Texas Super Lawyer since 2010 |
| Jack McGehee | McGehee Chang Feiler | Yes (1989) | 1980 | ABOTA member; Texas Super Lawyer |
| Richard Warren Mithoff | Mithoff Law | No | 1972 | ACTL and ABOTA fellow; Super Lawyers top tier |
| Matthew Shaffer | Schechter, Shaffer & Harris | Yes | 1987 | 4.9 Google rating (1,034 reviews) |
| Blaine Tucker | Tucker Injury Law | Yes | 1992 | 5.0 Google rating (26 reviews) |
| Nhan Nguyen | WestLoop Law | No | 2003 | Holds both an MD and a JD |
| Chelsie King Garza | Chelsie King Garza P.C. | No | 2002 | Reported a top Texas verdict (2012, Thomson Reuters) |
Board certification is verifiable at texasbar.com. License years are approximate where a public profile was unavailable.
How These Lawyers Were Chosen
This ranking is editorial; no attorney paid for a place on it. Each was measured against the same criteria:
- Board certification in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, confirmed at the State Bar of Texas.
- A practice that centers on medical injury rather than treating it as one line on a long menu.
- A record of cases taken to verdict, not only settled or referred out.
- The infrastructure these cases demand, in-house medical review and access to qualified experts.
- Standing among peers, through ABOTA, the American College of Trial Lawyers, and Super Lawyers selection.
The review also drew on recognized directories, among them Justia, Attorney at Law Magazine, Super Lawyers, Avvo, National Trial Lawyers, Lexinter, and the State Bar of Texas. Those sources informed the order. They did not dictate it.
How to Choose Among Them
A few questions separate a genuine medical malpractice lawyer from a general injury lawyer who lists it:
- Is the attorney board certified in Personal Injury Trial Law? Confirm it at texasbar.com.
- Does the lawyer concentrate on medical injury, or is it one of a dozen areas?
- How many malpractice cases has the lawyer taken to a jury in the last several years?
- Does a medical professional review the records before an outside expert is retained?
- Who handles the file day to day, the named attorney or an associate?
- How is the contingency fee structured, and who advances the case costs?
A lawyer who has done this work answers plainly. A lawyer who has not tends to change the subject.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the best medical malpractice lawyers in Houston?
By the criteria used here, board certification, a focus on medical injury, and a verdict record, the leading Houston medical malpractice lawyers for 2026 include Tommy Hastings of Hastings Law Firm, Jack McGehee of McGehee Chang Feiler, and Richard Warren Mithoff of Mithoff Law, alongside several other named attorneys profiled above.
How long do I have to file a medical malpractice lawsuit in Houston?
Generally two years from the date the claim accrues, under Section 74.251, with a ten-year outer limit. Texas also requires 60 days’ written notice to each potential defendant before suit. The deadlines are strict, and the two-year mark can arrive sooner than a patient expects.
What is the cap on damages in a Texas medical malpractice case?
Section 74.301 caps noneconomic damages at 250,000 dollars against physicians, plus up to 500,000 dollars against hospitals and institutions, for a combined ceiling of 750,000 dollars. Economic damages, including medical bills, future care, and lost earnings, are not capped and often drive the value of a serious case.
What is the expert report requirement?
Under Section 74.351, the plaintiff must serve a qualified medical expert report within 120 days after each defendant files its original answer. The report must address the standard of care, the breach, and causation. A missing or deficient report results in dismissal with prejudice.
Can I sue a Houston hospital directly?
Yes. A hospital can be directly liable for its own failures in credentialing, staffing, and safety policy, apart from the negligence of an individual physician. Public hospitals in the Harris Health system fall under the Texas Tort Claims Act, which adds shorter deadlines and separate limits.
What does a Houston medical malpractice lawyer cost?
Nearly all plaintiff medical malpractice lawyers work on contingency, meaning the fee comes out of any recovery rather than being paid up front. Fees commonly run from one-third to 40 percent, and the firm typically advances the case costs, which can be substantial because of expert fees. The exact terms should be set out in writing at the first meeting.
What makes a medical malpractice case valid in Texas?
A valid claim has four elements: a doctor-patient relationship that created a duty, a breach of the accepted standard of care, a causal link between that breach and the injury, and actual damages. A qualified expert must support the claim in the report required under Section 74.351.
Ranking Sources
This guide was compiled with reference to recognized attorney directories and rating sources, including:
- Justia, Medical Malpractice Lawyers, Houston
- Attorney at Law Magazine, Top Medical Malpractice Lawyers Texas
- National Trial Lawyers Top 25 Medical Malpractice Attorneys
- Super Lawyers and Avvo attorney profiles
- OnTopList, Best Houston Medical Malpractice Attorneys
- The State Bar of Texas attorney search (board certification and license status)
- America’s Top 50 Lawyers Rankings
- Lexinter Law Directory
These sources informed the editorial review. They did not produce the exact order.
