JJS Founder and longtime Managing Partner, Howard Alan Janet, passed away on September 18, 2025 due to complications from surgery. He was 70.
In a career spanning nearly five decades, Mr. Janet led Janet, Janet & Suggs, his nationally acclaimed law firm, in securing justice and billions of dollars in life-changing compensation for his clients. Long considered one of the top lawyers in the country for medical malpractice, birth injury, and sexual abuse, he was the recipient of numerous professional awards and accolades.
Outside of the courtroom, he harnessed that same determination to serve others. He founded the Cerebral Palsy Family Network, which supports families seeking resources and information to help their children with cerebral palsy, and contributed to and worked for several Jewish charities.
Among many other statements made about Mr. Janet in the wake of his untimely death, the Maryland Bar Association noted, “Howard A. Janet will be remembered for his courage, his generosity, and his unwavering dedication to his clients and his community.”
NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FOR FINDING REAL JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS
All told, Howard A. Janet, Esq. and his firm have won over three billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for their clients. But Mr. Janet always said it was not the amount of money he obtained for his clients that was the true measure of success, but rather what the money could do – ensure peace of mind and dramatically improve the quality of life for his clients.
Mr. Janet’s efforts on behalf of clients extended beyond the trial court level. His appellate victories lengthened the statute of limitations for patients victimized by fraudulent physicians and expanded the rights of children to be compensated for their injuries.
AN ADVOCATE FOR SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ABUSE
Over a storied career, Mr. Janet helped thousands of women navigate the civil justice system to hold sexual predators and the powerful institutions that enable them accountable. Some of the worst institutional offenders in the sexual abuse of women have been hospitals and universities that have enabled male OBGYN physicians and employees to prey on their patients.
His high profile sexual abuse cases included:
MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN BIRTH INJURY AND OTHER MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CASES
Mr. Janet was recognized as one of the nation’s preeminent medical malpractice attorneys, widely known for his vigorous, meticulous, and passionate representation of children who developed cerebral palsy (CP) as the result of preventable birth injuries.
More than 30,000 families consulted Mr. Janet about potential cerebral palsy cases. He and his firm Janet, Janet & Suggs achieved a proven record of identifying cases in which avoidable medical errors led to children’s CP. When he was sufficiently confident a birth injury or other medical malpractice case had merit, Mr. Janet tirelessly sought the full measure of justice the case demanded.
That tenacity, along with a tremendous body of accumulated knowledge and exceptional trial skills, produced an extraordinary string of precedent-setting results for Mr. Janet’s clients, both in the courtroom and at the settlement table. In Minnesota, he broke the record twice for the largest birth injury award handed down by a jury. In Washington D.C., his verdict in a cerebral palsy case more than doubled the highest jury award in any previous medical malpractice action.
FOUNDING A MAJOR CEREBRAL PALSY ORGANIZATION
Mr. Janet’s commitment to helping children with cerebral palsy, regardless of the cause, inspired him to help found and provide ongoing support for the Cerebral Palsy Family Network, an organization that provides extensive services to families of children diagnosed with CP.
BOOKS
Patients’ Rights and Doctors’ Wrongs – Secrets to a Safer Pregnancy and Childbirth
Patients’ Rights and Doctors’ Wrongs enables expectant mothers to take an informed, proactive role in their obstetrical care so they can obtain quality services. Using real stories, the authors provide indispensable information and advice.
Navigating a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
Navigating a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit is the ultimate resource for anyone who has been victimized by medical practice. This easy to read and understand book explains how to bring and successfully resolve a medical malpractice case.
Representing Plaintiffs in Medical Malpractice Cases
Representing Plaintiffs in Medical Malpractice Cases provides an authoritative, insider's perspective on mounting an effective medical malpractice case.
