What Did You Expect?

Attorney Craig Tucker* knew immediately that he was going to have problems with his new client. The client slipped on a few fallen grapes in the produce section of a large grocery store. She was in her late 30s and suffered only minor injuries. Her treatment was limited to chiropractic care. Tucker knew after the initial meeting that her case would be worth a few thousand dollars. Unfortunately, the client had very different ideas.

Refrigerator of Horrors

This post might be a story about preserving client property.  It could be about spoliation of evidence or the importance of communicating with staff.  Or, it might not have any lesson at all and I’m sharing just because it is my favorite claims story. An office refrigerator-freezer can be a scary place.  Moldy leftovers, stolen […]

Emergency Planning – Thinking About the Unthinkable

In the spring of 2012, Raleigh attorney Alan Barnes* was at the top of his game.  He was 58 and had spent years building a thriving solo practice.  His work included trusts and estates, general business, and real estate matters.  In a moment, everything stopped when Alan suffered a massive stroke. For several days, he […]

Why You Have To Sweat the Small Stuff

Attorney Jane Brooks* has a successful solo practice and enjoys a great reputation in her community.  In more than thirty years of practice, she had never had a malpractice claim.  That changed with one real estate matter.  Her story is a reminder that a minor mistake can have huge consequences and that the devil truly […]

The Dangers of Dabbling in Multiple Practice Areas

There are intricacies in every practice area that attorneys unfamiliar with the subject don’t know.  Even worse, they often don’t know what it is that they don’t know.   While it is true that generalist attorneys still exist and expertise can only come with experience, it can be very risky to dabble* in “whatever walks […]

The Case that Was Too Good to Be True

Looking back, she can clearly see that it was too good to be true.  But when she opened that email message, April Frazier thought the case might be just what she needed to get her practice on track. The prospective client, Eddie Barrington, was seeking Frazier’s help in enforcing a worker’s compensation settlement.  Barrington claimed […]

Don’t Make A Four-Alarm Mistake

When the client came in with a case involving an out-of-state accident, attorney Martin Connelly knew he had to be careful.  He knew it was dangerous to assume that the statute of limitation in another jurisdiction was the same as that in his own state.  He knew there could be quirks and pitfalls.  On the […]

Pin It on Pinterest