Jim Kjar Wins Legal Malpractice Jury Trial Where Plaintiff Claimed Malpractice and Inappropriate Relationship Against Her Former Lawyer.
Plaintiff retained the Defendant attorney to handle a significant personal injury claim against a large restaurant chain. Plaintiff lost at trial and claimed this was due to the attorney’s mishandling of her case and failure to retain appropriate experts. Plaintiff also claimed that through phone calls and email exchanges, the attorney allowed her to have an inappropriate and emotional relationship with Plaintiff, which was used by the attorney to cover up his malpractice.
The Defense argued that the workup and handling of the case by the attorney was appropriate and that the emails and other phone calls made to him by the Plaintiff were initiated by her and nothing was done by him to encourage the relationship. Plaintiff sued for legal malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. After two days of deliberations, the Jury returned a 12-0 unanimous verdict in favor of the attorney.