How do I report malpractice in Texas?
Asked by: Dr. Royal Heidenreich | Last update: November 3, 2025Score: 4.6/5 (20 votes)
Submit your complaint electronically via the Online Complaint Form, or print a PDF version COMPLAINT FORM (SPANISH COMPLAINT FORM ) and mail it in, or call the Complaint Hotline 1-800-201-9353 and follow the automated prompts to request a complaint form.
What qualifies as medical malpractice in Texas?
Medical malpractice is generally described as errors or mistakes that your doctor or another healthcare professional makes in treating you. A wide range of things can constitute medical malpractice, from misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis to outright surgical mistakes and errors.
What happens when you file a complaint with the Texas medical Board?
During the initial review of the allegations in a complaint, conducted in the first 45 days after receiving the complaint, TMB staff may attempt to contact both the complainant and licensee. Complaints involving administrative matters, such as requests for medical records, are reviewed by a TMB attorney-investigator.
How long do you have to file medical malpractice in Texas?
According to this statute, you generally have two years from the date the malpractice occurred or the date you discovered that malpractice to file a lawsuit against the medical professional or facility for your damages.
How do I report medical negligence in Texas?
- Complaint hotline: 1-800-458-9858, Option 5.
- Email: hfc.complaints@hhs.texas.gov.
- Fax: 833-709-5735.
- Mailing address: Health and Human Services Commission.
What Evidence Do I Need for a Medical Malpractice Claim?
How do you prove negligence in Texas?
- Element 1: Duty of care. ...
- Element 2: Breach of duty. ...
- Element 3: Causation, or cause in fact. ...
- Element 4: Proximate cause. ...
- More negligence elements: damages in a lawsuit.
Should I sue for malpractice?
Before you sue your doctor for medical malpractice, take some time to consider whether you believe your case meets the threshold for a medical malpractice claim. Did your doctor breach the medical standard of care and did that breach cause you to suffer damages? Be honest with yourself.
Is it hard to sue a doctor in Texas?
Texas is not only one of the hardest states to pursue medical negligence claims, they also have some of the lowest caps on damages. While we try to help everyone we can, the simple truth is that until Texas laws are changed, only a small percentage of people who contact us will have a viable case.
What are the requirements for legal malpractice in Texas?
A legal-malpractice claim in Texas requires four elements: (1) a duty by the attorney to the plaintiff, (2) the attorney's breach of that duty, (3) proximate cause, and (4) damages. The first element, duty, usually exists because of a formal attorney-client relationship.
How much can you sue for malpractice in Texas?
The Texas Medical Malpractice and Tort Reform Act severely restricts that amount of damages that medical malpractice victims can obtain for pain and suffering. Non-economic damages against all doctors and health care providers capped at $250,000. Non-economic damages against health care facilities capped at $500,000.
What is the most common medical complaint?
- Long Wait Times. ...
- Insufficient Communication. ...
- Lack of Personal Attention. ...
- Billing Issues. ...
- Poor Follow-Ups. ...
- Unprofessional or Unfriendly Staff. ...
- Optimize Scheduling. ...
- Create a Communication Framework.
What is reportable to the Texas Medical Board?
The Board cannot accept complaints submitted anonymously. The most frequent complaints involve issues related to standard of care, professional incompetence, unprofessional conduct which may endanger the public, and inability to practice medicine by reason of mental or physical impairment.
Can I sue my doctor for not releasing my medical records?
If you believe that your doctor or other health care provider violated your health information privacy right by not giving you access to your medical record, you may file a HIPAA Privacy Rule Complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights.
What is the hardest element to prove in a medical malpractice case?
Proving causation is often the most difficult element of a medical malpractice case. However, it is not impossible. With the help of an experienced medical malpractice lawyer, plaintiffs may be able to overcome the challenges of proving causation and win their cases.
What is the payout for medical malpractice in Texas?
The average payout for a medical negligence case in Texas is $199,000. Although, the value of medical malpractice claims is often dependent on the severity of the medical injuries sustained due to the medical practitioner's errors.
What are the 4 things that must be proven to win a medical malpractice suit?
- Duty: The duty of care owed to patients.
- Dereliction: Or breach of this duty of care.
- Direct cause: Establishing that the breach caused injury to a patient.
- Damages: The economic and noneconomic losses suffered by the patient as a result of their injury or illness.
How do I prove medical malpractice in Texas?
To prove that the doctor acted negligently, you will need to establish in court that the doctor owed a specific “standard of care” and that the doctor's actions or failure to act was a breach of that duty.
How much is a legal malpractice case worth?
Attorneys may purchase policies with coverage limits as high as $10 million. The average legal malpractice settlement or verdict is nearing $300,000. If your attorney costs you money, they can be liable to pay for it. The last thing that they want is for you to go after their personal assets.
What is the standard of proof for malpractice?
The “more likely than not” standard of legal proof required in medical malpractice litigation is also called the “preponderance of evidence” standard; it is less demanding than the “beyond reasonable doubt” standard required to convict criminal defendants.
Is it worth suing for medical malpractice?
In order to make a medical malpractice case worthwhile to pursue, the case should have approximately $125,000 to $150,000 in provable damages. Since only allows the recovery of compensatory damages, a patient must have a serious and permanent injury to justify proceeding with a medical malpractice case.
Can I sue my doctor for emotional distress in Texas?
No, in Texas, you are not allowed to sue (or file an emotional distress lawsuit) for emotional distress alone, also known as NEID (negligent infliction of emotional distress). However, you may be able to recover damages for NEID as part of a personal injury claim if you have also suffered a physical injury.
How do you win a medical malpractice case in Texas?
To prove a malpractice suit, you must show that a medical professional caused you harm or injury in a way that a reasonably competent doctor under the same circumstances would not have.
What does malpractice not cover?
While medical malpractice insurance helps cover a wide variety of costs, no insurance policy covers everything. Coverage is capped based on the applicable limits of a given policy. Common exclusions include claims resulting from intentional acts or sexual misconduct or practicing without proper licensure.
What are the odds of winning a medical malpractice lawsuit?
Physicians win approximately 80% to 90% of the cases reviewers believe they should win, approximately 70% to 80% of the cases rated as toss-ups, and roughly 50% of the cases deemed by peer reviewers to have strong evidence of negligence [18].
What is unfair malpractice?
Important note: Using or attempting to use any other undesirable method or means in connection with the examination or any other act not listed above but amounting to obtain unfair advantage, will also be malpractice/unfair means and the class of offence will be decided by the competent authority.