Once-promising attorney Frank Galvin is an alcoholic
ambulance chaser. As a favor, his former partner Mickey Morrissey sends him a
medical malpractice case which is all but certain to be settled for a significant amount. The case involves Deborah Ann Kaye, who was left comatose after choking on her own vomit when she received
general anesthesia during childbirth at a
Catholic hospital. The
plaintiffs, Kaye's sister and brother-in-law, intend to use the settlement to pay for her care. A Catholic
diocese representative offers Galvin $210,000 (). Deeply affected by seeing Kaye, Galvin declines and states his intention to try the case, stunning the defendants and the
judge. While preparing for trial, Galvin encounters divorcée Laura Fischer in a bar, and they become romantically involved. Galvin experiences several setbacks. His
medical expert disappears, and a hastily arranged substitute's credentials are challenged. Nobody who was in the delivery room is willing to testify that negligence occurred. The hospital's attorney, Ed Concannon, has a large legal team that is masterful with the press. Kaye's brother-in-law angrily confronts Galvin after Concannon's team tells him of the settlement offer that Galvin rejected. In chambers, Judge Hoyle has a heated exchange with Galvin and threatens him with
disbarment. Galvin dismisses Hoyle as a "
Bag Man" for the local political machine and "a
defendant's judge" who "couldn't hack it" as a lawyer. Hoyle denies Galvin's motion for a
mistrial and threatens to have him arrested. Galvin storms out. Galvin notices that Kaye's admitting nurse, Kaitlin Costello, filled out a form which included the question, "When did you last eat?" Galvin tracks down Costello in
New York City and travels there to request her testimony. While Laura arranges to meet Galvin in New York, Morrissey finds a check from Concannon in her handbag and realizes she is Concannon's spy. Morrissey also travels to New York and informs Galvin of Laura's betrayal. Galvin confronts her in a bar and strikes her, knocking her to the floor. On the flight back to Boston, Morrissey suggests moving for a mistrial due to Concannon's ethics violation, but Galvin decides to continue the trial. In her courtroom testimony, Costello says she wrote on the admitting form that Kaye ate a full meal one hour before arriving at the hospital. On cross-examination, an incredulous Concannon asks how she can prove this. Costello reveals that her superiors coerced her into changing the form from "1" to "9", but before doing so, she made a
photocopy which she brought to court. Concannon objects that for legal purposes, the original document is presumed to be correct; however, Hoyle unexpectedly reserves judgment. Costello further testifies that the
anesthesiologist later confessed he had failed to read her admitting notes and administered general anesthesia, which is dangerous for someone who ate only one hour prior. When the anesthesiologist realized his error, he threatened to end Costello's career unless she changed the form. After Costello's testimony, Concannon again objects on the grounds that the original admitting document has precedence. Hoyle agrees and declares Costello's testimony
stricken from the record. Afterward, a diocese lawyer praises Concannon's performance to the bishop, who asks "Did you believe her?", and is met with embarrassed silence. Despite feeling his case is hopeless, Galvin gives an impassioned
closing argument. The jury finds in favor of the plaintiffs, and the foreman asks whether the jury can award more than what was sought. Hoyle resignedly replies they can. As Galvin is congratulated outside the courtroom, he glimpses Laura watching him from across the atrium. That night, a drunk Laura drops her whiskey glass, drags her telephone towards her, and dials Galvin's office number. Galvin is sitting with a cup of coffee. He moves to answer the call but changes his mind and lets it ring. ==Cast==