Westport Lawyer Ordered to Pay Nearly $200,000 to Former Client

The Connecticut Post reported the decision of a Superior Court jury which found a Westport lawyer guilty of malpractice and ordered him to pay nearly $200,000 to his former client. The case against the lawyer was handled by Bob Sheldon and Frank Bailey of our firm.

Attorney Sheldon represented a man who entrusted his family attorney to handle a clear-cut personal injury claim involving injuries sustained in an auto accident. The lawyer had 2 years to bring a lawsuit, but completely “messed up”, relieving the driver who went through the stop sign and his insurance company of responsibility for the accident.

“We thought it was wrong,” said Sheldon, “and we sued the lawyer.”

Fortunately, the lawyer had his own malpractice insurance and, eventually, the client was able to recover the full value of his claim. Other lawyers had rejected the case, but we felt that we had a duty to protect the public.