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An overview of the most common legal malpractice claims

On Behalf of | Mar 23, 2022 | Legal Malpractice

Legal malpractice claims arise for various reasons, and it is pivotal to seek justice if you currently face hardships as a result of a legal professional’s negligence. Certain types of cases are especially likely to result in legal malpractice, and some victims do not take action after suffering consequences.

In some instances, victims of legal malpractice do not identify violations of their rights or the extent to which an attorney’s negligent actions adversely affected the case. On the other hand, some victims lack confidence and think that holding an attorney answerable is impossible.

Data on common types of legal malpractice cases

According to the Missouri Department of Insurance, more legal malpractice cases arose due to the alleged mishandling of bodily injury and property damage cases than any other type of case during 2020 (32 claims involving plaintiffs, 15 claims involving defendants). In addition, 2020 saw 20 claims related to probate, trusts and estates, as well as 16 family law claims. Legal malpractice cases involving bankruptcy and collection totaled 13 claims during 2020.

Other data on legal malpractice claims

In 2020, 61 out of 63 paid claims targeted attorneys who had over ten years of experience. Procrastination and failing to follow up was the leading error cited, and many legal malpractice cases involved failing to properly determine the deadline or understand the law, as well as malicious prosecution. 2020 saw 138 legal malpractice claim closures, resulting in payouts amounting to $11.6 million.

If you want to hold a negligent attorney accountable for wrongdoing, make sure you go over strategies to hold them answerable at once.