M.D. & J.D. — Herb Borroto combines the rare insight of a trained physician with the tenacity of a trial attorney to win cases others can't.
Board Certified trial lawyer and M.D./J.D. medical-legal expert. Serving all 50 states from Coral Gables, Florida.
Legally Reviewed by Nick Reyes, Partner, The Alvarez Law Firm • • Last reviewed:
Most attorneys hire medical experts to interpret your records. Herb Borroto is the medical expert — giving you an advantage that defense teams fear from day one.
Where other lawyers see pages of jargon, Herb Borroto sees the exact moment of negligence — instantly identifying deviations from the standard of care.
Medical training means Herb Borroto knows which specialists carry the most weight, asks the right questions, and prepares experts who command the courtroom.
Opposing medical experts can't hide behind technical language. Herb Borroto speaks their language and exposes gaps they hoped no one would catch.
Jurors don't need medical degrees — they need someone who translates complex medicine into a powerful, understandable story. That's Herb Borroto's gift.
"I trained to heal. When the medical system failed my patients, I went to law school to hold it accountable."— Herb Borroto, M.D., J.D.
When the people you trusted most let you down, you deserve an advocate who understands both medicine and the law. Herb Borroto handles the most complex cases.
Medical malpractice cases demand two kinds of expertise: the ability to investigate and build a powerful legal case, and the medical knowledge to prove exactly what caused the injury. We have both.
30+
Years Fighting
for Justice
Before becoming one of Florida's most respected trial lawyers, Alex Alvarez served as a Miami-Dade detective who led the historic "Miami River Cops" investigation — resulting in the conviction of 18 corrupt officers. That same relentless investigative instinct drives every medical malpractice case he takes.
Alex traces the entire chain of negligence — identifying every responsible party and building the strongest possible case. As a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer — a distinction held by less than 1% of Florida attorneys — Alex is prepared to take your case all the way to a jury.
Most medical malpractice lawyers hire outside medical experts to review your records. At The Alvarez Law Firm, that medical expertise is on your legal team. Herb Borroto earned his medical degree (M.D.) before attending law school — giving him the unique ability to analyze medical charts, treatment protocols, and clinical decision-making with the understanding of someone trained in medicine.
In medical malpractice cases, the medical records are everything. Herb Borroto identifies exactly what happened — what treatment was provided, whether proper protocols were followed, whether early warning signs were recognized, and who bears responsibility. This dual medical-legal training is an advantage that most law firms simply cannot offer.
"When I review medical records, I bring the lens of my medical training — and that changes everything about what we find."
— Herb Borroto, M.D., J.D.
Contact us by phone or through our online form. We will listen to your story, review your medical history and diagnosis, and give you an honest assessment of whether you have a viable medical malpractice claim — at no cost and with no obligation.
We obtain your complete medical records and Herb Borroto reviews them with both medical and legal expertise — identifying what treatment was provided, whether proper protocols were followed, and documenting exactly where the standard of care was breached.
Alex Alvarez and the legal team identify every responsible party — doctors, hospitals, nurses, and institutions. We assemble top medical experts, gather evidence, and construct a case designed to win at the negotiating table or in the courtroom.
We file your lawsuit and fight aggressively for the compensation you deserve. As a Board Certified trial lawyer, Alex Alvarez prepares every case for trial, which puts maximum pressure on defendants to resolve your case fairly. No Fees Unless We Recover Money for You.
When medical negligence turns your life upside down, the last thing you need is an attorney who doesn't understand what happened to you. Herb Borroto does — because he trained as a physician first.
Your consultation is free, confidential, and comes with zero pressure. We'll review your case with both medical and legal expertise, and tell you honestly whether you have a claim worth pursuing.
Your information is confidential. Submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship.
What Happens Next
If your information appears to qualify you for help, a lawyer or someone from their team will reach out to you. If you don't hear back within seven days, please speak with another law firm — every legal matter has a filing deadline, and waiting too long can cost you the right to recover.
Time-sensitive. Evidence degrades and statutes of limitations apply. Get your free case review now →
Medical malpractice is a form of professional negligence that occurs when a healthcare provider — including doctors, surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, or hospitals — deviates from the accepted standard of care and causes harm to a patient. According to a Johns Hopkins study published in the BMJ, medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States, responsible for approximately 250,000 deaths annually. The National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) — the federal database that tracks every paid malpractice claim in the country — recorded more than 85,000 paid malpractice claims between 2019 and 2024, averaging over 14,000 per year. Despite this volume, researchers estimate that fewer than 2% of patients harmed by medical negligence ever file a formal claim. Medical malpractice claims can arise from surgical errors, misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, birth injuries, medication errors, anesthesia complications, and failures in hospital safety protocols. In Florida, the statute of limitations for medical malpractice is generally two years from the date of discovery, with an absolute four-year statute of repose. The Alvarez Law Firm's medical-legal team, led by Herb Borroto, M.D., J.D., combines physician-level understanding of medical records with trial lawyer tenacity to identify exactly where the standard of care was breached.
A medical malpractice case requires four elements: a duty of care existed between the healthcare provider and patient, the provider breached the accepted standard of care, the breach directly caused the patient's injury, and the patient suffered measurable damages as a result. Common indicators include unexpected complications during routine procedures, a worsening condition after treatment, outcomes that differ significantly from what the provider discussed, or a diagnosis that was missed or delayed despite clear symptoms. The Alvarez Law Firm offers a free, confidential case evaluation where Herb Borroto, M.D., J.D., personally reviews medical records with both a physician's clinical insight and an attorney's legal analysis. This dual medical-legal review identifies deviations in care that other law firms often miss because they rely on outside medical consultants who may lack the same depth of understanding.
Medical malpractice cases are among the most complex areas of law because they require proving that a healthcare provider violated the standard of care — a medical determination that demands clinical expertise. At The Alvarez Law Firm, Herb Borroto holds both a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) and a Juris Doctor (J.D.), enabling the firm to independently read medical records, identify deviations from the standard of care, select the most qualified expert witnesses, and cross-examine opposing medical experts in their own clinical language. Most law firms must hire outside medical consultants, creating a layer of separation that can weaken the case. The Alvarez Law Firm eliminates that gap entirely. Combined with Alex Alvarez's Board Certification as a Civil Trial Lawyer by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, the firm offers a medical-legal partnership that defense teams consistently describe as their most formidable opposition.
Medical malpractice victims in Florida may recover compensation for past and future medical expenses, lost wages and diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and in cases involving gross negligence, punitive damages. In wrongful death medical malpractice cases, surviving family members may also recover funeral and burial costs, loss of companionship, and loss of financial support. Florida does not currently cap non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases following the state Supreme Court's 2017 ruling that such caps are unconstitutional. The value of each case depends on the severity of the injury, the extent of ongoing medical needs, and the degree of the provider's negligence. The Alvarez Law Firm handles all medical malpractice cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning clients pay no fees unless the firm wins their case.
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Plain-English read on the difference and how the question gets answered.
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Health insurance, subrogation, hospital liens, and Letters of Protection during a malpractice case.
The records that decide the case, your right of access under HIPAA and Florida law.
Duty, breach, causation, damages — the four legal elements every malpractice case must prove.
When a bad surgical outcome crosses the line from known risk into malpractice.
Which cancers get missed most often, how cases are built, and the loss-of-chance doctrine.
Apparent agency, independent contractors, negligent credentialing, and direct hospital negligence.
How statutes of limitations, the discovery rule, statutes of repose, and pre-suit requirements all interact.
How sepsis malpractice cases get built — the Hour-1 Bundle standard, six patterns of failure, and the time stamps that tell the story.
