“She told me in the first call what she would need to see, and never promised more than that.”
Daphne K.Daughter of a patient
Medical malpractice, Mineola
When care went wrong, ask what the record says
Estella Rothwell represents patients and families after a surgical error, a missed diagnosis, a birth injury or neglect in a care home. She reads the records, and a physician reads them too, before she says whether there is a case.
Sample matters
Three outcomes, each with its limits
$740,000
Verdict, surgical error
A surgical instrument was left in the abdomen and found on a later scan.
2023
Gross verdict for this sample matter alone, before fees and case costs.
$415,000
Settlement, missed diagnosis
A scan was read as clear. A second reading months later found what the first had missed.
2022
Gross settlement for this sample matter alone, before fees and case costs.
$225,000
Settlement, medication error
A dose was given twice in one shift, and the chart showed both entries.
2024
Gross settlement for this sample matter alone, before fees and case costs.
Sample matters, written to show how results are stated here. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
The lawyer
Records first, then a doctor, then a decision
Estella Rothwell practices alone, from an office in Mineola. Every case begins with the medical records, which she sends to a physician in the field before she tells you whether she will take it.
Most reviews end in a no. When they do, she writes to you with the reasons, so you can show the letter to another lawyer if you want a second opinion.
A physician reads the records before any promise is made
A decision in writing, yes or no
A contingency fee, with costs explained up front
Four promises
Short promises, each with the matter behind it
- Medication error
She reads the chart herself.
In one sample matter, a nurse charted a medication at 2:10 and again at 2:40. The second entry is the page most families never see.
- Missed diagnosis
A physician reads it first.
In another, a reviewing oncologist found the first scan had been read correctly. The case was declined in nine days, with the reasons in a letter.
- Surgical error
A no comes in writing.
A knee replacement went badly, but the risk was on the signed consent form. The letter said so, and said what a second opinion would look at.
- Nursing-home neglect
She picks up the phone.
A daughter called on a Saturday about pressure sores in a care home. The photographs and dates she sent that day shaped the whole file.
Sample matters, written for this site. Details are invented.
Afterward
What families wrote when it was over
“The letter explaining why she could not take our case was the clearest thing anyone gave us.”
Torin W.Husband of a patient
“A physician had read every page before she called us back. That mattered more than anything.”
Nerissa P.Mother of a patient
Each client's case is different. These are sample comments written for this site, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
A first review
Send the records. Hear back in writing.
Bring the dates, the name of the hospital and whatever papers you have. Please keep confidential details for the call, not the form.
Fees are a percentage of any recovery, and nothing is owed in fees if there is none. Case costs, such as record fees, physician review, expert reports and court filing fees, are separate, and the written agreement says how they are handled.