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Medical Malpractice

Top-Ranked Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Gainesville, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.210 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked medical malpractice lawyers in Gainesville, Florida are Mark Alexander Avera (LexRank 84.00), Michael Dustin Sechrest (84.00) and David Marc Warner (80.00).

This ranking lists 10 medical malpractice lawyers in Gainesville, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. Their experience ranges from 11 to 40 years in practice. 2 of the 10 list Spanish on their Florida Bar profile.

Lawyers ranked
10
Fully verified
10 of 10

The ranking

Ordered by organic LexRank score; paid placements are labelled and never affect a position. How we rank

  1. No change

    Mark Alexander Avera

    Independent practice · Gainesville, FL

    Verified
    • 37 years experience
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 24.4)
    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 1.2)
  2. No change

    Michael Dustin Sechrest

    Warner, Sechrest & Butts, P.A. · Gainesville, FL

    Verified
    • 28 years experience
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 24.4)
    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 1.2)
  3. No change

    David Marc Warner

    Warner, Sechrest & Butts, P.A. · Gainesville, FL

    Verified
    • 28 years experience
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (0/20). 4.00 points behind #2, mostly reputation.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 24.4)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 1.2)

    4.00 points behind #2 (Michael Dustin Sechrest): Reputation −4.

  4. No change

    Francys Calle Martin “Francys”

    Independent practice · Gainesville, FL

    Verified
    • 26 years experience
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (0/20). 1.40 points behind #3, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 24.4)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 1.2)

    1.40 points behind #3 (David Marc Warner): Data quality −1.4.

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  5. No change

    Raymond Francis Brady “Ray Brady”

    Independent practice · Gainesville, FL

    Verified
    • 40 years experience
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (0/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 24.4)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 1.2)

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  6. No change

    Laurie Dukes Mitchell

    Independent practice · Gainesville, FL

    Verified
    • 38 years experience
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (0/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 24.4)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 1.2)

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  7. No change

    Benjamin J Steinberg “Ben”

    Independent practice · Gainesville, FL

    Verified
    • 15 years experience
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #7?

    Ranks #7 with 72.00: strongest in Reputation (4/20) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Experience (18/30). 6.60 points behind #6, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 1.2)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)

    Held back by

    • Experience 18/30 (ranking avg 24.4)

    6.60 points behind #6 (Laurie Dukes Mitchell): Experience −12.

  8. No change

    Stephanie Nicole Hines

    Warner, Sechrest & Butts, P.A. · Gainesville, FL

    Verified
    • 14 years experience
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #8?

    Ranks #8 with 66.80: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Experience (16.8/30). 5.20 points behind #7, mostly reputation.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 1.2)
    • Experience 16.8/30 (ranking avg 24.4)

    5.20 points behind #7 (Benjamin J Steinberg “Ben”): Reputation −4, Experience −1.2.

  9. No change

    Mary Weibel Munz “Beth”

    Independent practice · Gainesville, FL

    Verified
    • 13 years experience
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #9?

    Ranks #9 with 65.60: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Experience (15.6/30). 1.20 points behind #8, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 1.2)
    • Experience 15.6/30 (ranking avg 24.4)

    1.20 points behind #8 (Stephanie Nicole Hines): Experience −1.2.

  10. No change

    Nicholas Price Whitney “Nick”

    Independent practice · Gainesville, FL

    Verified
    • 11 years experience
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #10?

    Ranks #10 with 63.20: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Experience (13.2/30). 2.40 points behind #9, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 1.2)
    • Experience 13.2/30 (ranking avg 24.4)

    2.40 points behind #9 (Mary Weibel Munz “Beth”): Experience −2.4.

Data sources behind the scores

Every score on this page is calculated from facts backed by these sources. Each profile shows which source supports which fact and when it was last checked.

  • floridabar.org · Official / regulatory · 10 profile pages103 facts for 10 lawyers

Medical Malpractice market in Gainesville

LexRanked tracks 10 lawyers and 1 law firm in medical malpractice law in Gainesville, Florida. 10 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 22, 2026.

Lawyers
10
Law firms
1
Verified professional data
10 of 10
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
27 years10 lawyers

Calculated by LexRanked from its own records on ; data verified . Ratings and review counts count only when backed by a source; figures from fewer than three profiles are withheld. All lawyers in Gainesville

What sets these Gainesville lawyers apart

Every lawyer in this ranking has a The Florida Bar license verified as eligible to practice, and every fact shown links to its source. The figures below come from each lawyer's Florida Bar profile.

Fact about the 10 ranked lawyers Figure
Years in practice 11 to 40 (median 27)
Languages besides English Spanish (2)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer
Most common law school University of Florida, Fredric G. Levin College of Law (7 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Gainesville office address and medical malpractice as a practice area on record. It compares 10 medical malpractice lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. The Florida Bar does not board-certify lawyers in medical malpractice, so the practice area is the one each lawyer lists on their Florida Bar profile, which The Florida Bar does not review. How we rank.

Florida rules to know

A Florida medical malpractice claim must be filed within 2 years of discovering the injury and never later than 4 years, after a presuit investigation with a medical expert opinion and a 90-day notice period.

Rule What it means
Filing deadline 2 years from the incident or from when it was or should have been discovered, and no later than 4 years from the incident; claims for a minor may be brought until the child's eighth birthday (Fla. Stat. § 95.11)
Expert opinion The claimant must investigate first and send a verified written medical expert opinion with the notice of intent (§ 766.203)
Notice of intent Before filing suit, the claimant must notify each prospective defendant of the intent to sue (§ 766.106)
90-day presuit period No lawsuit may be filed for 90 days after the notice; the defendant must then reject the claim, offer to settle or offer arbitration (§ 766.106)
Lawyer fees With a contingency fee, the patient keeps at least 70% of the first $250,000 and 90% of any damages above that, after costs (Fla. Const. art. I, § 26)
Court Where cases are heard
State court circuit Alachua County is in Florida's Eighth Judicial Circuit

How to choose among these lawyers

Confirm the license, ask who will handle your matter, and get the fee terms in writing before you sign.

  1. Look up the lawyer in The Florida Bar's directory and check the bar number shown on their LexRanked profile.
  2. Ask whether the lawyer you meet will handle your matter personally, and how many matters like yours they have handled recently.
  3. Ask how they charge and what costs are extra, and get the agreement in writing.
  4. If you prefer to work in another language, check the languages listed on each profile.

Further reading

Sources for the rules above

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to file a medical malpractice claim in Florida?

Within 2 years from the incident or from when it was or should have been discovered, and no later than 4 years from the incident, under section 95.11. A claim for a minor may be brought until the child's eighth birthday.

What must happen before a medical malpractice lawsuit is filed?

The claimant investigates, obtains a verified written opinion from a medical expert and notifies each prospective defendant (sections 766.203 and 766.106). No suit may be filed for 90 days after the notice.

How much can a lawyer take from a medical malpractice award in Florida?

With a contingency fee, the patient keeps at least 70% of the first $250,000 and 90% of damages above $250,000, after reasonable costs, under article I, section 26 of the Florida Constitution.

What happens during the 90-day presuit period?

The doctor or hospital and its insurer review the claim and must respond by rejecting it, offering to settle or offering to arbitrate damages (section 766.106).

Which court handles cases in Gainesville?

State court cases in Alachua County are heard in Florida's Eighth Judicial Circuit.

Are there Spanish-speaking medical malpractice lawyers in Gainesville?

Yes. 2 of the 10 ranked lawyers list Spanish on their Florida Bar profile. Each LexRanked profile shows the languages on record.

How is this ranking ordered?

By the LexRank score, calculated only from facts with a cited source: experience, practice-area relevance, awards on record such as board certification, professional credentials, data quality and location. Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Payment never changes a position.

Do client reviews affect the LexRank score?

Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Reviews are shown on profiles for information only, and Reputation counts only awards on record, such as board certification. How we rank

Which lawyers are verified?

10 of the 10 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Mark Alexander Avera, Michael Dustin Sechrest, David Marc Warner, Francys Calle Martin “Francys” and Raymond Francis Brady “Ray Brady” and others.

About this ranking

Last updated
Methodology
LexRank v1.2 - deterministic, reproducible scoring
Editorial review
LexRanked editorial team,
Independence
Positions are never sold. Paid placements, if any, are labelled and do not affect scores.

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