Yes. A lawyer must follow special procedures in connection with filing a Philadelphia medical malpractice lawsuit. In particular, the lawyer must submit a certificate of merit verifying the legitimacy of the claim. Lawyers typically do this by obtaining a written statement from an appropriate medical professional stating that the care the patient received did not meet the minimum standard of care.
This requirement ensures that only valid medical malpractice claims move forward in Pennsylvania courts. In practice, it also means that patients need to hire a lawyer who has experience in selecting and working with medical professionals to evaluate a claim before filing a lawsuit.