Morally wrong, legally fine: what no-win no-fee lawyers taught me

After I got nowhere with the hospital directly, I turned to the legal system.

Not to sue for money — but to understand how something so clearly wrong… could still be allowed.

I spoke to a few no-win, no-fee legal firms. They were kind. They listened. They empathised. And then they walked me through the reality:

Yes, what happened to my dad was deeply upsetting.

Yes, the hospital could have done better.

But no — I didn’t have a case.

Why?

There were a few reasons they couldn’t take it further — but the hardest one to hear was this:

The hospital had met what’s known as the “standard of care.”

This was one of the hardest things to hear.

Because to most people, “standard of care” sounds like a good thing — a safeguard.

But in practice, it often means this:

If what happened to your loved one could have happened in any other hospital in the area, it’s considered acceptable.

Not ethical.

Not ideal.

Just standard.

When legal standards fall short of moral ones, families are left without justice.

And in a system where nurse shortages, rushed care, and burnout are the norm — the bar is heartbreakingly low.

One lawyer even said to me, “You’re right. It’s morally corrupt. But that’s not how the law works.”

That sentence has stuck with me.

Because it captures the gap between what is legal… and what is right.

It also made something crystal clear:

The legal system exists to protect the structure, not the individuals who fall through its cracks.

So I let go of the idea of justice through the courts.

Not because I gave up — but because I realised I was speaking the wrong language. I wasn’t going to win a legal battle over a system designed to defend itself.

But I could build something different.

Something human.

Something that doesn’t hide behind standards, but rises above them.

Because moral courage shouldn’t need a loophole.

B x

Just a note: Everything I’ve shared here is based on my personal experience and views. I’m not naming names or pointing fingers — just being honest about what I saw and felt. It’s not about blame. It’s about trying to do better. This is shared in the hope of encouraging conversation, not conflict.