Legal Malpractice Attorneys: Protecting Your Rights in Biloxi, Mississippi
When people hire lawyers, they usually pay significant fees in exchange for a standard of service, legal expertise and confidentiality that is expected of competent professionals. They entrust important and often life-changing matters to the professionalism of the attorney and most law firms respect the duty of care and act accordingly.
If a law firm slips below these standards and causes losses to a client through negligence or mistakes, it can be very costly. In such situations, some clients may be able to take legal action to seek compensation for financial and personal losses.
If you’ve been harmed by an attorney’s professional negligence or errors in the Biloxi area of Mississippi, we are one of the few firms that can represent individuals and families in legal action against other law firms.
Our legal malpractice attorneys will help you assess whether you have the grounds for a case and, if so, work to restore your faith in the legal system by recovering the maximum compensation for your losses.
What constitutes legal malpractice in Mississippi?
Legal malpractice is the name given to situations where attorneys are negligent, make a mistake or otherwise fail to do what they should have done for their clients.
A legal malpractice lawsuit is one of the available remedies to this situation. However, to be successful in a legal malpractice case, we must be able to prove each of these four elements:
- An attorney-client relationship existed
- The attorney breached the duty of care to the client
- The attorney’s breach of duty contributed to the client’s damages, and
- The client suffered financially as a result of the conduct of the attorney.
The “measure of damages” is the difference between (1) where the client should be had the legal malpractice not occurred and (2) where the client is as a result of the malpractice.
Why might you sue a lawyer for malpractice?
Attorneys are sworn to confidentiality and to protect your legal interests. Failure to exercise this duty of care may be sufficient grounds for a legal malpractice lawsuit.
A breach of confidentiality is sometimes referred to as a “breach of the attorney-client privilege.” Some other typical examples of legal malpractice in Mississippi include:
- Missed deadlines or statutes of limitations
- Conflicts of interest (such as representing both parties)
- Failing to properly investigate claims
- Failure to appear or follow court orders
- Omitting valid claims or defenses
- Errors or omissions resulting in the dismissal of a client’s case
- Mishandling client funds
- Engaging in unfair dealings
- Failing to follow reasonable client instructions
- Poor execution of legal documents
- Lack of response to discovery
- Breach of contract/fiduciary duty
- Exerting undue influence against the client’s interest
- Malicious, excessive, or frivolous litigation at the client’s expense
- Obstruction of justice
- Presenting false evidence
- Endangering a case through reckless behavior
- Improper billing practices or billing fraud
We can summarize the main categories of legal malpractice cases as follows:
Seeking Justice for Victims of Legal Malpractice in Mississippi
Legal malpractice can have severe consequences for individual victims or the businesses they represent in Mississippi. At Rushing & Guice, PLLC, our experienced attorneys are dedicated to representing victims of legal malpractice and fighting for their rights to fair compensation.
Committed Advocates for Legal Malpractice Victims
Our legal team understands the complexities of professional malpractice cases regarding law firms and the significant impact they can have on a clients’ financial and emotional well-being. We are relentless in our pursuit of justice for those who have suffered harm due to negligent or wrongful actions by other legal professionals.
Comprehensive Legal Guidance and Representation
If you believe you have been a victim of legal malpractice in Mississippi, our skilled attorneys are here to help. We provide personalized, and comprehensive legal guidance tailored to your specific case.
What damages can be recovered in legal malpractice cases?
The types of compensation that you may be able to claim for losses in a legal malpractice case usually relate to the original case — and may include:
- The loss of compensatory damages that may have been awarded to you if your lawyer had not been negligent or misrepresented you.
- The loss of potential punitive damages that may have been awarded to you if your lawyer had not been negligent or misrepresented you.
- Expenses and legal fees incurred from the original case.
- The value of any lost property that was directly caused by legal malpractice.
What is the statute of limitations on filing a legal malpractice claim?
In Mississippi, you have three years from the date the attorney-client relationship ended (or you became aware of the malpractice) to file a legal malpractice claim against an attorney or firm that represented you.
After three years, you generally waive the right to file a claim.
How do you file a legal malpractice claim in Biloxi?
Attorneys should not be above the law and are rightly held to lofty professional standards. People in need of legal assistance should be able to confidently expect that their case will be treated with respect and care. Fortunately, this does apply most of the time in Mississippi.
If you have been improperly treated or misrepresented by your attorney, you may have a valid legal malpractice claim. To successfully prosecute such a claim, though, you will require the assistance of an attorney — which you may be reluctant to do after your trust in the legal profession has been shaken.
To help you seek redress for your past experiences, we can usually work out a suitable arrangement with you for filing a legal malpractice claim — regardless of the size of the firm that has wronged you.
If you’re in the Biloxi area of Mississippi, contact a legal malpractice attorney at Rushing & Guice, PLLC for legal advice and assistance with pursuing a claim.
