Founder, Kay Van Wey, is not only a renowned trial attorney, she truly cares about patients' safety. As she explains in this video, we all have one thing in common: we are all patients and everyone we love is a patient.
Fighting for Patients—In the Courtroom and at the Capitol
I’ve spent decades fighting for justice in courtrooms across Texas. But the truth is, my advocacy doesn’t end there—it extends to the halls of our state legislature. Because at the end of the day, I’m not just an attorney. I’m a patient. And so is everyone I love.
This June, I had the honor of standing beside Representative Cassandra Hernandez as we worked together on a vital piece of legislation to protect patients across our state. I served as an expert witness in support of a bill that gives patients a voice where it has long been missing—on the Texas Medical Disclosure Panel.
Currently, when a person in Texas goes in for a medical procedure or surgery, they are asked to sign a lengthy, often confusing legal document. This form is intended to inform them of the risks and help them give what is known as “informed consent.” But here’s the problem: the committee that decides what goes on these disclosure forms is made up solely of physicians and attorneys who represent healthcare providers.
There is not a single public member—no patients, no patient advocates, no one representing the everyday people undergoing these procedures. That’s not informed consent. That’s a stacked deck.
What we’re asking for is simple and fair: to add public members to the Texas Medical Disclosure Panel. People like nurses, survivors of medical harm, and legal advocates for patients. People who understand, from lived experience, what patients actually need to know before they sign on the dotted line.
One thing I reminded lawmakers of during my testimony is this: every person in that chamber, regardless of party or ideology, is a patient. And everyone they love is a patient. This isn’t a partisan issue. It’s a human one.
Texas—like much of the nation—has seen patient rights eroded over time, while legal protections for healthcare providers have expanded. The result is a system where victims of medical negligence are often left with no recourse, no justice, and no voice.
That has to change.
I’ve long admired Representative Hernandez for her courage and conviction. Her words meant the world to me when she said, “Kay, you have been a hero of mine for many, many years because I’ve seen you fight the good fight for patients.” She reminded me—and everyone listening—that we are facing a patient safety crisis in this country. And the only way forward is through action, inclusion, and reform.
Our working group includes people from all walks of life: physicians, nurses, patients who’ve experienced harm, and families who’ve lost loved ones. I’m proud to bring my legal background into that room. But more than anything, I’m proud to lend my voice to a cause that is bigger than any one case or courtroom victory.
I’m asking you to stand with me in this fight for patients. Subscribe to my newsletter. Visit our website. Follow me on social media. Because this is a fight we must continue—together.
UPDATE: On June 20, 2025, the Governor of Texas signed this bill into law, marking a major victory for patient safety and transparency in medical consent.
