What happens when a hospital makes a catastrophic mistake?

There's a playbook that gets activated in the first 24 hours — risk management protocols, legal coordination, evidence preservation strategies. Most families have no idea it's happening. And most attorneys don't know what to look for.

In Episode 2 of It's Not Fair, host Masten Childers sits down with Adam Havens, Senior Counsel at Whiteford Taylor Preston, to discuss what happens when hospitals shift into institutional protection mode after a medical error.

In this episode, we cover:

What triggers the shift from cooperative to defensive (and how to recognize it)
The evidence that disappears in the first 48 hours if attorneys don't act immediately
Why resource asymmetry determines outcomes before cases even reach trial
When attorneys should recognize they're in over their heads and refer immediately
What it actually costs to properly litigate complex medical malpractice cases
The first-week playbook: what to do in the first 24 hours after taking a case

About the Guest:

Adam Havens is Senior Counsel at Whiteford Taylor Preston with over 20 years of experience in medical malpractice litigation. He has tried cases from both sides of the table — defending hospitals and representing patients — giving him unique insight into the institutional defense playbook.

About It's Not Fair:

It's Not Fair is a podcast about catastrophic injury and medical malpractice cases — and why the system is designed to protect institutions over people. Hosted by trial attorneys from Peterson Law, each episode exposes the moments that determine outcomes before most people know the game's started.

This episode is attorney-focused strategy. If you handle personal injury but get calls on medical malpractice cases, this conversation will show you exactly what separates attorneys who can handle this work from attorneys who can't.

Connect with Peterson Law and Whiteford:
Website: https://www.justinpetersonlaw.com
LinkedIn: Peterson Law
Facebook: @JustinPetersonLawKY
Instagram: @peterson_law_office

New episodes drop monthly..

It's Not Fair is a podcast about the moments that determine outcomes before most people realize the game has started. Hosted by Justin Peterson and Masten Childers. New episodes monthly.

In the first episode of It's Not Fair, trial attorneys Justin Peterson and Masten Childers lll discuss the moment they each realized the legal system doesn't work the way they thought it would. From the institutional tactics deployed in the first 72 hours after a catastrophic injury, to the invisible mistakes that permanently damage cases, to why powerful institutions have information advantages that most people never see — this conversation exposes how outcomes get decided long before anyone realizes the game has started.

This isn't legal education. This is insider knowledge about what actually happens when someone's life is destroyed and the other side has a playbook. No sales pitch. No verdict bragging. Just the conversation that needs to happen publicly.

It's Not Fair is a podcast about the moments that determine outcomes before most people realize the game has started. Hosted by Justin Peterson and Masten Childers. New episodes monthly.