Bradenton Medical Malpractice Lawyers
Florida lawmakers are currently considering a change to one of the biggest obstacles families face when harmed at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. A bill has already passed the Florida House that would raise the damage caps that have protected the hospital from full accountability for years
If you or a family member has been harmed by a medical error at Sarasota Memorial, or another Sarasota County facility, potential damage caps add uncertainty to an already difficult situation. Our Sarasota medical malpractice lawyers can explain where things stand right now, not just in theory, and how your case would be affected.
The Fernandez Firm has recovered over $100 million for Florida clients over the past 25 years, including cases against both public and private hospitals. The consultation is free.
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What Does It Mean to Sue an HCA Hospital in Bradenton?
Filing a medical malpractice claim against Blake Medical Center means taking on HCA Healthcare, a national, publicly traded corporation with tens of billions in annual revenue.
When you challenge an HCA facility, you face a national risk management infrastructure and experienced corporate defense attorneys who know Florida’s complex pre-suit laws inside and out.
Strategic Investigation Against Corporate Healthcare Systems
Taking on a national healthcare network doesn’t weaken your case—it simply demands a meticulous, strategic approach from day one.
Our team executes a comprehensive investigation designed to hold large hospital networks accountable:
- In-Depth Record Analysis: Thoroughly auditing medical records and cross-referencing public and private data sources.
- Liability & Employment Verification: Identifying every provider involved to determine whether treating physicians were direct HCA employees or independent contractors—a critical factor in establishing legal liability.
- Targeted Evidence Gathering: Building a bulletproof timeline before Florida’s strict pre-suit notice period begins.
Blake Medical Center vs. Manatee Memorial Hospital
While Florida malpractice laws under Florida Statute § 766 apply equally to all facilities, your legal strategy must adapt to the opposing entity:
- Blake Medical Center (HCA Healthcare): Driven by national corporate risk management structures and aggressive defense teams.
- Manatee Memorial Hospital: A private Bradenton institution with a distinct local ownership structure and separate legal defense procedures.
Whether your claim involves Blake Medical Center, Manatee Memorial, or another Manatee County facility, we bring the institutional knowledge and trial experience required to level the playing field.
What Types of Cases Do We Handle in Bradenton?
We handle a full range of medical negligence claims in Manatee County, including complex and expensive cases that other firms may decline.
Those include claims against physicians, hospitals, nursing providers, and large healthcare systems involving wrongful death, missed or delayed diagnosis, and Florida misdiagnosis of stroke, birth injuries, surgical errors, anesthesia mistakes and bedsore or pressure sore injuries caused by nursing neglect.
When a county’s most severe cases all funnel through one facility, the stakes for getting that care right are especially high, and so is the consequence when all kinds of medical mistakes happen.
How Do You Know If You Have a Case?
You may have a case if a physician, nurse, hospital, or other healthcare provider failed to meet the standard of care, the level of skill and attention a reasonably competent provider in the same specialty would have provided, and that failure injured you or a loved one.
A bad outcome alone is not enough. A documented, or undocumented, deviation from accepted medical practice standards, paired with serious harm, is required in Florida.
At the Fernandez Firm, we review all relevant records and consult independent medical experts we retain, at no cost to you. If you believe a Manatee County provider was negligent, you can also file a complaint with the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), which licenses and inspects Florida hospitals. A formal ACHA complaint will not affect your right to pursue legal action.
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What Has the Fernandez Firm Recovered for Clients?
A $36.7 Million birth injury verdict, upheld on appeal in Orlando Florida, sits at the top of our malpractice case results. It came from years of preparation against a defendant doctor who did not want to go to trial, until he had no choice after exhausting all delay tactics.
- $6.3 Million — Pediatric brain injury suffered in Pinellas County, due to health care provider negligence
- $5.3 Million — Final Judgment for severe nerve injury caused by a fall after hip surgery in a Lakeland hospital
- $4.25 Million — Stoke injury settlement due to a missed diagnosis
- $2.6 Million — Wrongful death verdict for a young mother caused by a negligent healthcare provider in St. Petersburg.
- $1.1 Million — Stage IV Florida bedsore injury suffered by a bedbound 73-year-old hospital patient in Tampa.
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome in your case.
Why Choose the Fernandez Firm for Your Bradenton Medical Malpractice Case?
At The Fernandez Firm, our Bradenton medical malpractice attorneys are never outgunned by the size or resources of corporate healthcare defendants.
Large hospital corporations begin assessing exposure and building a defense the moment an adverse event occurs, often long before a patient speaks with a lawyer. To level the playing field, we launch an aggressive, immediate investigation from day one:
- Rapid Evidence Preservation: Securing complete medical records, diagnostic imaging, and internal documentation before evidence is compromised.
- National Medical Experts: Retaining top-tier medical experts across the country to evaluate your case before the defense finishes its internal review.
- Comprehensive Liability Screening: Identifying every responsible party, from treating physicians to corporate parent entities.
Navigating Florida’s Complex Malpractice Pre-Suit Process
Florida law enforces strict, uniform procedural hurdles under Florida Statute § 766 before a lawsuit can be filed in the Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court at the Manatee County Courthouse in Bradenton.
Our legal team manages every step of Florida’s mandatory pre-suit requirement, including:
- Good-Faith Pre-Suit Investigation: Thoroughly auditing medical evidence to establish legal grounds for negligence.
- Corroborating Expert Affidavit: Securing formal, sworn expert opinions required to substantiate your claim.
- Formal Notice of Claim: Serving written notice to all at-fault healthcare providers.
- Mandatory 90-Day Response Window: Managing negotiations and strategy during the defendant’s legally required evaluation period.
Who Will Handle Your Bradenton Medical Malpractice Case?
Frank F. Fernandez III and Jennifer Gentry Fernandez review and handle every case personally, including all cases filed against the hospital systems in Manatee County.
Frank F. Fernandez III has tried medical malpractice cases throughout Florida for more than 30 years. He has been recognized for the past ten years as a “Super Lawyers,” selected to Florida Trend Magazine’s Legal Elite and was named as one of the Best Lawyers in America in 2022.
Jennifer Gentry Fernandez trained on Stetson University College of Law’s award-winning national trial team before becoming a medical malpractice litigator. Tampa Bay Magazine has named her a Top Attorney multiple times and for almost ten years she has been consistently recognized as a medical malpractice “Super Lawyer”.
Bradenton Medical Malpractice FAQs
Real questions people ask before taking on a hospital this size.
Can I actually sue an HCA hospital in Florida, or do they have some kind of protection?
Yes, you can sue them. HCA hospitals are privately owned and do not have the sovereign immunity protections that apply to some publicly owned Florida hospitals. The challenge is not legal protection on their end, it’s the size and scale of their legal defense.
How do I find out if my doctor was actually an HCA employee or worked through a staffing company?
This requires reviewing your medical records and any physician-staffing agreements connected to your treatment. We pull this information as part of every investigation, since it affects who is ultimately responsible.
I live in Lakewood Ranch. Is my case in Manatee County or Sarasota County?
It depends on the exact facility involved, since Lakewood Ranch straddles both county lines. We confirm the correct jurisdiction as part of our initial review, at no cost to you.
Does it matter that Blake is the only trauma and burn center in the county?
It can, depending on the patient’s medical condition. When one hospital handles all of a county’s most severe trauma cases, questions about the patient’s trauma needs, specialist availability, staffing levels, and overall capacity become more important, especially in cases involving patients who require Level I trauma care (HCA Blake is only a Level II trauma center) and in claims involving delayed or rushed care.
How long do I have to bring a claim against a hospital like this in Florida?
Under Florida law, victims of malpractice generally have two years from the date of the incident or injury to file a lawsuit.
Because there are nuances that can change this timeline, you should contact us promptly so we have adequate time to investigate your case, hire all necessary experts and protect you legal rights.
What is the pre-suit investigation process for a Manatee County case?
Florida requires investigation, a sworn expert opinion, and formal notice to each defendant under Florida Statute §766, before a lawsuit can be filed. The defendant then has 90 days to respond before a case can proceed at the Manatee County Courthouse.
How long do I have to file?
Generally two years from the malpractice or injury under Florida’s statute of limitations.
What damages can I recover?
Past and future medical costs, lost income, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. Wrongful death cases can include funeral costs and loss of companionship.
Will my case settle or go to trial?
Most cases settle, but typically only once the defense sees the plaintiff’s attorney is genuinely prepared to try the case in front of a Manatee County jury.
If multiple entities within a hospital system contributed to what happened, can I name them all?
Yes. Florida law permits multiple defendants in a single case, and we work to identify every person and entity that contributed to the harm and acted negligently, not just the most obvious parties.
We Don’t Get Paid Unless You Win
You owe us nothing unless we win your case. No retainer, no hourly fees, no upfront costs of any kind.
We advance the costs of investigating your claim, retaining expert witnesses, taking depositions, and filing in Manatee County Court. We take a percentage of what we recover, only if we recover something on your behalf.
The consultation is always free.
Find Out Where You Stand
Tell us what happened. We’ll tell you honestly what we see, including who you’d actually be up against.
We serve Bradenton clients from our Sarasota office:
Sarasota Office (serving Manatee County) 1990 Main St #782, Sarasota, FL 34236 (941) 214-9840
Tampa Main Office 2503 W Swann Ave #100, Tampa, FL 33609 (813) 365-3349
Call (800) 222-8163 or contact us online. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Free Case Review — No Fee Unless We Win!
The Fernandez Firm – Sarasota Office
1990 Main St #782,
Sarasota, FL 34236
Phone: (941) 214-9897