Legal MalPractice April 15, 1992 From the Father's Board : (718) 494-1719 Please consult appropriate counsel. The within file is for information only. You should read each case carefully, and compare it with the facts in your case. Specific pleadings may be obtained by finding the file in the appropriate county clerks office, signing it out and making copies of the pleadings ( a very expensive option @ 15cents a shot ). You will porbbaly want a jury trial, which you should demand ( in writing ) and pay the jury fee for. Remember you are entitled to have a judge turn you down. If a clerk turns you down there is nothing you can appeal from. There are different Statute of Limitations to different types of actions - a shotgun approach may have some of your causes of action dismissed and others permitted. Expect a Motion to Dismiss. A motion to dismiss is not a responsive pleading ( and you can amend your pleadings to make it more specific ) so do not be pulled in to the trap of trying to present the case in the answer to the Motion to Dismiss. The relationship of client-attorney is a constructive trust. The basic INJURY is the cost of the prosecution or defense: Wahl vs. Foreman 398 F. Supp 526 A client claim for breach of contract provides for equitable relief. Malpractice for Loss of Parental Rights: Ignotov vs. Reiter 425 Mich. 391 There is liability to a 3rd party if: 1) Fraud 2) Malice 3) Other Intentional Tort Government Prosecutors cannot be sued for mis-handling a case: Gerson vs. A.G. of New York 527 NYS2d 258 139 AD 2d 617 Use of RICO ( Racketeering, Influence and Corruption Act ) which requires 2 ACTS : 18 USC 1961 to 1968 ( usually 1962 ) In legal malpractice " Damage is not the cause of Action " Wilcox vs. Plummer 29 US 181 ( 1830 ) Top Defenses to Legal MalPractice 1. Statute of Limitations (1st Case being Wood vs. Carpenter 101 US 135 (1879) Supreme Ct ) A) Stopping the SOL depends on: 1) Date of discovery of facts concealed 2) Date of Discovery of essential facts 3) Date of firing lawyer B) Continuous Representation may Defeat SOL 2. Contributory Negligence 3. Mental Disability ( of attorney ) 4. Release Releases which are developed BEFORE the DISCOVERIES of errors 5. Collateral Estoppel 6. Estoppel 7. Res Judicata BELOW are some case citations ( cites ) with a New York flavor, and, where possible, a Federal flavor. REMEMBER : If you read the cases, you will also be able to find which lawyers represented which side, and how they made out. You can then call the Office of Court Administration and get their telephone number. As always, develop your facts, then decide which is most applicable. 1. Statue of Limitations ( SOL ) A) It's premature - meaning the SOL has not yet expired. Harris vs. Rosen 215 NYS 2d 992 B) The underlying cases have not yet resolved C) There's an alternative remedy D) In pari delicto ( unclean hands of pleader doctrine ) Contributory Negligence Cases Contributory Negligence is an AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE, meaning that the defense must be pleaded as something that was relied on by the defense, i.e. The Client failed to 1) Supervise the Attorney 2) Review the Work 3) Inquire about what was being done or necessary 4) Follow Advice 5) Provide Information 6) Avoid or Stop Losses or The Client Interfered with the Representation. see : Cicorelli vs. Capobianco 453 NYS 2d 21 463 NYS 2d 195 89 AD 2d 842 * Titsworth vs. Monlo 403 NYS 2d 793 95 Misc 2d 233 * Delfyette vs. Fisher 336 NYS 2d 147 40 AD 2d 674 * Lawyers are *generally* immune to a Civil Rights Action ( 42 USC 1983 ) Exceptions being: Black vs. Bayer 672 F2d 309 Robinson vs Bergstrom 579 F2d 401 Ferri vs. Aderman 440 US 907 * 99 S Ct 1213 * ( US Supreme Court ) Towner vs. Glover 467 US 914 * 104 S Ct 2820 * ( US Sup Ct ) Spring vs. Constantino 168 Conn 563 ( Connecticut ) COURT APPOINTED ATTORNEYS are better attacked under 18 USC 242 --------------------------------------------------------- Privilege = Immunity for what is said in a Judicial Proceeding. Judicial Proceeding include State Bar Disciplinary Committee proceedings. For thinking that " Absolute Privilege " does not exist, see Gold vs. Intersoft 489 NYS2d 660 128 Misc 2d 198 * Kenny vs. Cleary 363 NYS2d 606 47 AD 2d 531 * Friedman vs. Alexander 433 NYS 2d 627 There is a body of thought that says that MALICE punctures Qualified Immunity. Malice = reckless disregard of ( a statements ) falsity or knowing of a falsity. Privilege has defeated actions for ABUSE OF PROCESS, PERJURY, INVASION OF PRIVACY, FRAUD, Intentional Infliction of emotional Distress. --------------------------------- Res Judicata: applied to OPPOSING counsel in matrimonial action in : Erden vs. Reulen 146 Colo 347/ 361 P2d 445 Res Judicata in other cases: Compusort Inc. vs. Goldberg 606 F.Supp 456 ------------------------------------- Collateral Estoppel cases : Rastelli vs. Sutter, Moffat: 449 NYS 2d 305 87 AD 2d 865 57 NY 2d 773 454 NYS 2d 1034 Valolizza vs. Kreiger 352 NYS 2d 919 33 NY 2d 351 * ________________________________________________ Malpractice allowed to be cured by representation in: Hashemi vs. Scheck 609 F. Supp 391 ________________________________________________ Lawyers loss of a legal claim ( or ability to make a legal claim ) not the same as a personal injury ( different statute of limitations ): Alexander vs. Callanen 429 NYS2d 141 104 Misc 2d 762 * see Jakobleff vs. Jakobleff 484 NYS 2d 892 --------------------------------------------------------- SOL CASES: Cohen vs. Goodfriend 665 F Supp 152 Whitehouse vs. Quinn 477 NE 2d 270 Albany Savings Bank vs Caffery, Pontiff 463 NYS 2d 896 95 AD 2d 918 * Brainard vs. Brown 458 NYS 2d 75 91 AD 2d 287 * Johnson vs. Gold 420 NYS2d 816 71 AD 2d 1056 * Fraud SOL : Central Trust Co. vs. Goldman 417 NYS2d 259 70 AD 2d 767 NY CPLR 214(8) Tobias vs. Celler 37 NYS 2d 399 39 NYS 2d 1020 Contract SOL : Vollgraff vs. Block 458 NYS 2d 437 117 Misc 2d 489 * Lazzaro vs. Kelly 450 NYS 2d 102 87 AD 2d 975 57 NY 2d 360 * Boecher vs. Borth 377 NYS 2d 781 51 AD 2d 598 * Video Corpof America vs 462 NYS 2d 439 Fred Flatto 58 NY 2d 1026 * Antoniu vs. Ahearn 520 NYS2d 562 134 AD 2d 151 * Signopoli vs Gocozza 481 NYS2d 177 105 AD 2d 743 * Citibank vs. Struthers 418 NYS2d 679 68 AD 2d 790 * Dura-Bilt vs Albanese 382 NYS 2d 455 86 Misc 2d 172 * ----------------------------------------------------- COntinuous Representation cases: Wilson vs. Economon 288 NYS2d 381 56 Misc 2d 272* Seigel vs. Kranis 288 NYS 2d 831 29 AD 2d 477 * Grazo vs. Robertson 370 NYS 2d 255 Greene vs. Greene 437 AD 2d 339 80 AD 2d 55 * Gilbert vs. Millstein 352 NYS 2d 198 33 NY 2d 857 * Stamfel vs. Eckhardt 531 NYS2d 814 Bingham vs. Zolt 633 F. Supp 965 Bocaro vs. Keegan 483 NYS2d 564 126 Misc 2d 570* Kramer vs. Belfi 482 NYS 2d 898 Pitelli vs. Schulman 512 NYS 2d 860 128 AD 2d 600 * _________________________________________________ Malpractice concerning collection of funds and monies 1) Failure to pursue a claim 2) Failure to remit monies see: Stafford vs. Richardson 15 Wend 302 Model Building vs Reeves 236 NY 331 ______________________________________________________ Appearance of Impropriety of Lawyer Armstrong vs. McAlpin 625 F2d 433 ---------------------------------------------------- Against Court Appointed Counsel: Garcia vs. Community LEgal Services 362 Pa. Super. 484 Madeline G. vs. David R. 407 NYS2d 414 95 Misc 2d 273 * ( a conflict of interest case ) ______________________________________________________ RICO Cases: Carmel vs. Lurney 518 NYS2d 605 70 NY 2d 169 * Zambito vs. Ryan 509 NYS 2d 391 125 AD 2d 462 * Newman vs. SIlver 553 F SUpp 485 Olson vs. North 276 Ill App 457 Caludio vs. Heller 463 NYS 2d 155 119 Misc 2d 432 * United States vs. Uzzi 549 F. Supp 979 Kirkland vs. Mannis 639 F2d 671 --------------------------------------------------- Family Law Malpractice Cases: Von Wallhoffen vs. Newcombe 10 Hun 236 ( NY, 1977 ) Micahlie by Nabovisics vs. Klat 512 NYS 2d 436 128 AD 2d 505 * Joffe vs. Rubenstein 263 NYS 2d 867 24 AD 2d 752 * Kahn vs. Cromies 459 NYS 2d 941 92 AD 2d 634 * Callahan vs. Callahan 514 NYS 2d 819 127 AD 2d 298 * Soffer vs. Elmendorf 484 NYS2d 941 108 AD 2d 854 * Sokoloff vs. Sokoloff 371 NYS 2d 106 82 Misc 2d 797 * A conflict of Interest case in: Walker vs. Walker 707 P2d 110 Interest of Lackey 71 Ill App 2d 705 ------- Sirianni vs. Tomlinson 519 NYS 2d 385 133 AD 2d 391 * Nemet vs. Nemet 491 NYS 2d 810 ( of counsel ) 112 AD 2d 359 * Carimati vs. Carimati 462 NYS 2d 220 94 AD 2d 659 * Watson vs. Watson 11 NYS 2d 357 171 Misc 2d 175 * Burton vs. Burton 527 NYS2d 53 139 AD 2d 554 * Frover vs. Vindi 516 NYS 2d 27 130 AD 2d 710 * Modello vs. Modello 499 NYS 2d 9 118 AD 2d 549 * FOrbush vs Forbush 485 NYS 2d 898 Pulchino vs Pulchino 485 NYS 2d 318 Catania vs. Lippman 470 NYS2d 487 98 AD 2d 826 * Maier vs. Todd 445 NYS 2d 51 111 Misc 2d 788 * Schauer vs. Joyce 444 NYS 2d 564 54 NY 2d 1 * --------------- Alimony or Child Support Failure Malpractice : In Re Fein : 59 B.R. 656 ( Federal Bankruptcy Court EDNY ) Jakobleff vs. Cerrato 97 AD 2d 831 Pendente Lite Support: Ainsworth, SUllivan, Tracy & Knauf vs. Mallin 511 NYS 2d 965 __________________________________________________________________ 3rd Party Liability: Slotkin vs. Citizens 614 F2d 301 GIffin vs. Hardy 404 NYS 2d 405 62 AD 2d 5 * Drago vs. Buonagurio 413 NYS 2d 90 439 NYS 2d 818 46 NY 2d 778 454 NYS 2d 37 457 NYS 2d 1025 * Sapienza vs. NY (Daily) News 481 F. SUpp 676 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Your own lawyers Negligence: Nitis vs. Goldenthal 513 NYS 2d 186 Larsen 481 NYS2d 368 FIdler 463 NYS2d 279 S.E.C. vs. Everest Mgmt.Corp.. 463 NYS 2d 167 You Lawyer missed SOL: Nardella vs. Bruff 621 F. SUpp 1170 Frank 470 NYS2d 388 Beer vs. Florsheim 465 NYS 2d 196 Chicaffi vs. Wexler 497 NYS2d 703 116 AD 2d 614 * Failure to Proescute within SOL : Quagliaro vs. United States 293 F. SUpp 670 Val vs. Heitner 396 NYS 2d 602 90 Misc 921 * Failure to Defend within SOL : Wolstencraft vs. Sassowerr 507 NYS 2d 728 124 AD 2d 582 * Skinner 724 F2d 264 Martino 455 NYS2d 354 116 Misc 2d 231 * Romano 460 NYS 2d 842 Garguilio 58 AD 2d 683 ------------------------------------------------------ MENTAL ANGUISH FOR ATTORNEY QUITTING BEFORE TRIAL : Delesdenier vs. Porteine 666 F2d 116 _____________________________________________________ Failure to properly prepare for Trial : Becker vs. Julian, Blitz & Schelperin, P.C. 95 Misc 64 406 NYS 2d 412 66 AD 2d 674 411 NYS 2d 17 47 NY 2d 761 417 NYS 2d 464 ___________________________________________________________