I learned a lot from everyone who wrote. I had no out of pocket expenses other than lost time. For me, the emotional stress of the lawsuit was the worst part. The problem with our current system is the lack of distinction between malpractice and maloccurence. That is why it is so hard to find a neurosurgeon in St. Louis. Our city is apparently a great place to win a large settlement, so a lot of lawyers try to get the city of St. Louis as a venue. The lawyers for your defense try to be helpful. My exinsurer has done me the "favor" of appointing a new lawyer for the remaining two cases I have left with them. My former attorney has been helpful in supplying information and moral support. The one case I had that went to trial so far I won easily, but even so, I was in tears by the end of the process. With two cases looming in my future, I try to role model people who have been through diificult times. I cannot choose what is happening to me, but I can choose the attitude I adopt.