"I Wanted to Sue"...What One Patient’s Story Teaches Us About Preventing Lawsuits
- Katie Wyatt
- Mar 10
- 3 min read
Recently on the Medical Manners podcast, I interviewed Liz Florentino about an experience that forever changed her life. Her story is difficult to hear—but incredibly important for healthcare providers to understand.
Liz underwent a surgical procedure that resulted in complications she believes caused long-term, disabling injuries. Liz initially wasn't even considering sueing. But because of the lack of listening, communication and help she got afterwards, she felt she had no other way to be heard.
It wasn’t about money.
It wasn’t even entirely about the complication.
Her story highlights something every clinician should understand:
Most patients don’t start out wanting a lawsuit. They start out wanting answers and being heard.
When Patients Feel Abandoned
One of the most painful parts of Liz’s experience wasn’t the procedure itself—it was what followed.She described feeling dismissed and unheard when she tried to explain that something wasn’t right. Her symptoms were life-altering, yet she struggled to find someone who would truly listen to what she was experiencing. Over time, frustration turned into anger.
And eventually that anger turned into the thought many clinicians fear: Maybe the only way someone will listen is if I get a lawyer.
This is a pattern we hear over and over again in malpractice stories. When patients feel ignored, dismissed, or abandoned, their desire for accountability grows. Not because they want revenge. But because they want validation that what happened to them matters.
What Patients Are Actually Looking For
During our conversation, I asked Liz an important question: “What would have made this better?” Her answer was surprisingly simple. She didn’t describe a complex legal solution or a financial settlement. She described a conversation.
She wanted someone to acknowledge her suffering, to take her concerns seriously, and to walk alongside her while trying to understand what had happened.
In other words, she wanted the same thing most patients want:
To be heard
To be believed
To feel like their doctor hadn’t abandoned them
These are human needs, not medical interventions. And yet they are some of the most powerful tools we have in preventing conflict and litigation.
The Moment Healthcare Often Gets It Wrong
Healthcare systems are understandably cautious when complications occur. Risk management policies, legal concerns, and institutional protocols can make clinicians feel like the safest thing to do is say as little as possible. But from the patient’s perspective, silence can feel like something very different. Silence can feel like indifference. Or worse, like a cover-up.
What patients often interpret as avoidance or defensiveness is frequently just clinicians trying to navigate a complicated system. Unfortunately, that gap in perception can escalate an already painful situation.
The Lesson for Healthcare Providers
Liz’s story is a powerful reminder that clinical outcomes and patient experience are not separate issues. When something goes wrong medically, the quality of the relationship between patient and clinician becomes even more important.
This is when communication matters most.
This is when empathy matters most.
This is when presence matters most.
A simple statement like:
“I can see how much this has affected you. I want to understand what you’re experiencing.”
can change the entire trajectory of a patient’s experience.
Not because it fixes the complication. But because it tells the patient they are not facing it alone.
The Takeaway
As clinicians, we spend years mastering the science of medicine. But stories like Liz’s remind us that the human side of medicine may be just as important. Patients rarely walk into an attorney’s office because they woke up wanting to sue.
They go because somewhere along the way, they stopped feeling heard. If we want to reduce conflict, rebuild trust, and prevent lawsuits, the solution may be simpler than we think:
Listen earlier. Acknowledge suffering. And never let a patient feel abandoned when things go wrong.
Could your team use help?
If you feel like your team could benefit from stronger communication and listening skills—or you're looking for ways to improve patient satisfaction scores—we’d love to help. Schedule a strategy call with our team to explore practical ways we can support your clinicians and improve the patient experience in your organization.
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