Howard Janet has been representing plaintiffs in complex civil litigation for
more than 30 years in states across the country. His efforts on behalf
of clients have repeatedly produced record-breaking verdicts and
settlements and have led to a national reputation for helping
individuals and communities in three key areas:
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Medical malpractice, with an emphasis on handling cases
involving brain injury and cerebral palsy often from mismanaged
labor and delivery
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Pharmaceutical and medical device product liability
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Environmental litigation
He has been recognized nationally by the legal profession's most respected peer
review organizations: Martindale-Hubbell (AV), Best Lawyers in America and
Super Lawyers. He has also been recognized in the media as a leading trial lawyer with
cases being reported on by USA Today, Dateline NBC, Jet Magazine, the Washington Post, the
Baltimore Sun and affiliates of ABC, NBC and CBS among others.
Over the course of his career, Mr. Janet has investigated over 10,000 cases
nationwide involving cerebral palsy, most often in the context
of suspected obstetrical negligence. Among the results he has
achieved on behalf of children with cerebral palsy are the largest
medical malpractice verdicts ever won in the District of Columbia ($24
Million) and largest birth injury verdict in Minnesota ($15.5 Million).
In other types of medical malpractice cases, he also has obtained
record-breaking verdicts and settlements. These cases have included
substandard care that produced brain damage unrelated to cerebral palsy,
quadriplegia, misdiagnosed cancer, amputation, stroke and heart attack.
In addition, Mr. Janet has expanded the rights of victims of medical
malpractice by advocating and winning decisions that broadened the
statute of limitations for medical malpractice claims and established
the right of brain damaged children to be compensated for future medical
expenses when their parents claims for those expenses are precluded by
the statute of limitations. He also was instrumental in developing a
national nonprofit organization, Cerebral Palsy Family Network,
to help families find resources and share information nationwide.
Taking on mishandled medical malpractice claims as legal malpractice claims,
Mr. Janet has successfully represented clients who received improper
representation by their prior medical malpractice attorneys. Mr. Janet
has won many multimillion dollar recoveries in cases of this nature,
including a $12 Million verdict for a previously botched anesthesia
malpractice claim.
Mr. Janets environmental experience includes claims involving medical
monitoring, property damage and remediation arising out of mishandling
of toxic materials. Currently, he is representing clients in litigation
in Ohio, and investigating cases in Nevada and New Jersey, both of which
he expects to be filed imminently.
Mr. Janet is a member of the Maryland bar. Over the course of his career he
has been specially admitted to represent clients in Minnesota, North
Carolina, Illinois, Ohio, District of Columbia, Kentucky, Wisconsin,
Pennsylvania, Oregon, Iowa, Tennessee, Nevada, and numerous other
states. Representation of clients in litigation outside of Maryland is
accomplished in concert with local counsel and with the permission of
the applicable state or federal court.
His firm, Janet, Jenner & Suggs, LLC, represents South Carolina, West
Virginia and numerous individuals in pharmaceutical litigation.
Pharmaceutical cases currently focus on menopausal hormone replacement
therapy, shoulder pain pumps and Vioxx.
Mr. Janet is also an active leader in the legal community. In addition to
having testified before legislative bodies regarding issues of concern
to people injured by medical malpractice, Mr. Janet has lectured to
fellow attorneys on such subjects as "Maximizing Your Results in a
Medical Malpractice Case," "Birth Injuries and Brain Damage: Legal and
Ethical Implications," "Wrongful Death," and "Settling a Medical or
Legal Malpractice Case Before Suit." Mr. Janet also served on the
National Legal Education Advisory Committee of the American Bar
Association Program entitled, "The Experts Analyze Brain Damaged Baby
Cases."
Mr. Janet is a past president of the Gary I. Strausberg Foundation, Inc., a
private, nonprofit institution dedicated to "the professional education
of the legal community and the education of the public on issues of
safety, the civil justice system, and the role of the jury." He
also is actively involved in numerous community and philanthropic
endeavors, having served as chairman of various organizations.