Find a medical malpractice lawyer in Fort Worth: JPS, private hospitals and deadlines

A Fort Worth malpractice claim needs written notice at least 60 days before suit, and suit generally within 2 years of the care. JPS Health Network is the Tarrant County Hospital District, so a claim against it also generally needs six-month government notice and faces a lower money limit.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (30)

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Road map of Fort Worth's medical district south of downtown, near South Main Street
JPS is a county hospital district with a 6-month claim rule. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Does it matter which Fort Worth hospital treated me?

A great deal. JPS Health Network is the Tarrant County Hospital District, which the county Commissioners Court created. That makes it a public body, and public hospitals follow extra rules. A private hospital does not.

Where you were treatedNoticeLimits on money
JPS or a JPS clinic6 months, plus the 60-day medical noticeLikely $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence
A private hospital60 days before suitNoneconomic damages up to $500,000 for all institutions
A private doctor60 days before suitNoneconomic damages up to $250,000 for all doctors
A federally funded clinicA federal claim first, within 2 yearsFederal rules apply

Public hospital claims are also limited in what they cover. In general, the harm must come from a condition or use of tangible property, such as equipment or a drug. A bad decision alone often does not qualify. Some doctors who work at a public hospital may be employed by someone else, so a lawyer should find out who employed each person who treated you. You can check whether a clinic is federally funded on HRSA's list.

What if the problem happened in a Fort Worth emergency room?

Emergency care is the hardest kind of claim in Texas. For emergency treatment in a hospital, you generally have to prove willful and wanton negligence, not just a mistake. JPS and Texas Health Harris Methodist are both Level I trauma centers, so a lot of the most serious emergency care in Fort Worth happens there.

That rule depends on the facts. Care that continues after you are stable may be treated differently, so ask a lawyer how the rule applies to you.

How long do I have to sue for malpractice in Fort Worth?

  1. Two years from the act or the end of treatment is the general deadline.
  2. At least 60 days before filing, send written notice.
  3. Include the authorization form the statute requires.
  4. Proper notice pauses the deadline for 75 days.
  5. Ten years is the outer limit, no matter when the harm is found.
  6. After filing, an expert report is due within 120 days of each defendant's answer.

That last step has teeth. A missed report can end the case for good, and the court awards the defendant fees and costs. Because the expert work takes time, talk to a lawyer well before the two years are up.

How do I get my medical records from a Fort Worth hospital?

  • JPS: use MyChart, or fax your request to 817-702-5700. You can also mail Health Information Management at 1500 S. Main Street, Fort Worth 76104.
  • Texas Health: requests go online through Versima.
  • Any provider must act on a proper request within 30 days.
  • A Texas hospital may dispose of records 10 years after you were last treated, so do not wait.

Ask for the full chart, not just the summary. That includes nursing notes, test results and medication records.

Should I complain to the Texas Medical Board about a Fort Worth doctor?

You can, and it may matter for others. A board complaint will not pay your bills or stop your clock. Complaints must be in writing, and the Board cannot accept them anonymously. Questions can go to its call center at 512-305-7030. Talk to a lawyer first if you plan to sue, so what you write does not hurt your claim.

What can I recover in a Fort Worth malpractice case?

Your medical bills and lost wages are not capped by the noneconomic limits above. Pain and suffering is. If a loved one died, Texas also has a separate limit on all damages in death cases, adjusted for inflation. If Medicare paid for your care, it must be repaid from any settlement.

What should I ask a medical malpractice lawyer in Fort Worth?

  • Who employed each person who treated me?
  • Is JPS or another public body involved, and when does the six months end?
  • Which expert would you use, and when would you hire one?
  • After the caps, does my case make financial sense?

Questions

How long do I have to sue a hospital in Fort Worth?

Generally two years from the care. For JPS, notice is generally due within six months.

Can you sue JPS Health Network?

In limited cases. It is a public hospital district, so government rules and a lower money limit apply.

Do I need an expert to sue a doctor in Texas?

Yes, in nearly all cases. An expert report is due within 120 days after each defendant answers.

Is there a limit on pain and suffering in Texas?

Yes. $250,000 for all doctors combined, and $500,000 for all institutions combined.

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Sources (30)

  1. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 74.051, checked 2026-11-09. “at least 60 days before the filing of a suit”
  2. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 74.251, checked 2026-11-09. “no health care liability claim may be commenced unless the action is filed within two years from the occurrence of the breach or tort or from the date the medical or health care treatment that is the subject of the claim or the hospitalization for which the claim is made is completed”
  3. JPS Health Network, About JPS, checked 2026-11-09. “The Tarrant County Hospital District, known as JPS Health Network”
  4. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 101.101, checked 2026-11-09. “not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred”
  5. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 101.023, checked 2026-11-09. “$100,000 for each person and $300,000 for each single occurrence for bodily injury or death”
  6. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 74.052, checked 2026-11-09. “Notice of a health care claim under Section 74.051 must be accompanied by a medical authorization in the form specified by this section.”
  7. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 74.051, checked 2026-11-09. “shall toll the applicable statute of limitations to and including a period of 75 days following the giving of the notice”
  8. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 74.351, checked 2026-11-09. “not later than the 120th day after the date each defendant's original answer is filed”
  9. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 74.351, checked 2026-11-09. “with prejudice to the refiling of the claim”
  10. 45 CFR 164.524, checked 2026-11-09. “no later than 30 days after receipt of the request”
  11. Tarrant County, Hospital District FAQ, checked 2026-11-09. “The Tarrant County Commissioners Court created the Tarrant County Hospital District”
  12. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 74.301, checked 2026-11-09. “shall be limited to an amount not to exceed $500,000 for each claimant”
  13. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 74.301, checked 2026-11-09. “shall be limited to an amount not to exceed $250,000 for each claimant, regardless of the number of defendant physicians”
  14. HRSA, FTCA FAQ, checked 2026-11-09. “a claimant may not file suit before presenting an administrative claim”
  15. 28 U.S.C. 2401(b), checked 2026-11-09. “presented in writing to the appropriate Federal agency within two years after such claim accrues”
  16. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 101.021, checked 2026-11-09. “personal injury and death so caused by a condition or use of tangible personal or real property”
  17. HRSA FTCA Search Tool, checked 2026-11-09. “searches a listing of recipients of Health Center Program grant funding that have been deemed as PHS employees”
  18. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 74.153, checked 2026-11-09. “with willful and wanton negligence”
  19. Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “JOHN PETER SMITH HOSPITAL 11/1/2028 E FORT WORTH 76104”
  20. Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “TEXAS HEALTH HARRIS METHODIST HOSPITAL FORT WORTH 1/1/2029 E FORT WORTH 76104”
  21. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 74.251, checked 2026-11-09. “all claims must be brought within 10 years or they are time barred”
  22. JPS Health Network, Patient Records, checked 2026-11-08. “You can fax a written request to 817-702-5700.”
  23. JPS Health Network, Patient Records, checked 2026-11-08. “JPS Health Network Health Information Management 1500 S. Main Street Fort Worth, TX 76104”
  24. Texas Health, Request Medical Records, checked 2026-11-08. “Texas Health has partnered with Versima”
  25. Texas Health & Safety Code 241.103, checked 2026-11-09. “on or after the 10th anniversary of the date on which the patient who is the subject of the record was last treated in the hospital”
  26. Texas Medical Board, Complaint Process, checked 2026-11-09. “Complaints must be submitted in writing.”
  27. Texas Medical Board, Complaint Process, checked 2026-11-09. “The Board cannot accept complaints submitted anonymously.”
  28. Texas Medical Board, Consumer page, checked 2026-11-09. “Call (512) 305-7030 to reach a member of the TMB Call Center”
  29. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 74.303, checked 2026-11-09. “the limit of civil liability for all damages, including exemplary damages, shall be limited to an amount not to exceed $500,000 for each claimant”
  30. CMS, checked 2026-11-09. “it must be repaid to Medicare when a settlement, judgment, award, or other payment is made”

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