You attorney is supposed to be your advocate and someone who gives you the edge in a court room. Many people hire an attorney when they are facing legal trouble and need expert guidance to resolve the situation as favorably as possible. When your attorney takes advantage of your vulnerability, it you and the law firm’s reputation.
This is what happened in New Jersey following a ruling in a class action lawsuit over pelvic mesh that affected thousands and thousands of women. These women have now filed a lawsuit against their attorneys for breach of fiduciary duty and negligence, alleging that their attorneys charged fees above the legal limit and took on too many cases to manage.
Legal negligence worsens stressful situations
The women in the class action lawsuit allege that the attorneys charged a 40-percent fee despite New Jersey’s limit for personal injury lawsuits is 33 percent. Another lawsuit claims that the law firm they hired took on too many cases and consequently missed filing deadlines that were costly for the plaintiffs.
As a result, the plaintiffs feel that their settlements are inadequate to pay off their medical bills, legal fees and continued medical care because of the faulty pelvic mesh.
When attorneys rush to get as many clients as they can in a class lawsuit, it’s possible they can overextend themselves with their caseload. When a firm takes on too many clients, they can make mistakes and it’s their clients that pay the price. When a law firm skips steps in a class action, it can affect their clients’ ability to receive the settlement money they are due and in turn affects their ability to take care of their bills.
Trustworthiness is an important trait in your attorney
You should feel confident in the care of your attorney. There is a trust between an attorney and their client that once broken, can be impossible to repair. However, you may be able to recover your damages that resulted from your previous attorney’s mistreatment in a lawsuit.
