Trial Lawyers Behaving Badly
When our legal system is abused, we all lose. Sadly, sometimes we end up losing because of personal injury lawyers who have stepped out outside of the profession’s code of ethics and abused the judicial system for personal profit. We call this “trial lawyers behaving badly.”
Check out this list of offenders to read about their devious actions – and the repercussions they faced. Have you seen any instances of trial lawyers behaving badly in your communities? Let us know on Facebook.
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Timothy O’Meara, New Hampshire
Trial lawyers are supposed to provide counsel to their clients, but ultimately they have to follow the direction of their client, right? Not according to Timothy O’Meara, who just wants a million dollar settlement no matter what.
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Stanley Chesley , Kentucky
Judges and lawyers working together can create an efficient legal system. But, sometimes, these relationships go too far and lead to conspiracy and greed, just as in the case of Stanley Chesley.
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Noel Gage , Nevada
Las Vegas is known for its gambling, bright lights and entertainment, but for Noel Gage the city is a place for fraud and conspiracy to abuse the legal system.
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Mel Weiss and Bill Lerach , California
Probably the most famous names on our list of personal injury lawyers behaving badly, Bill Lerach and Mel Weiss were the “Kings of Class Actions” who took down companies after stock prices would decline. After serving time in prison, they’re back on the streets now – watch out America!
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Stephen Diamond, Illinois
What do you call a law firm that proactively looks for nuisance lawsuits to file instead of providing legal counsel? Shad, Diamond & Shedden P.C.—the “black eye” of the Illinois legal system.
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Thomas Girardi and Walter Lack, California
Contrary to their rosy depiction in the 2000 Hollywood movie, Erin Brockovich, Thomas Girardi and Walter Lack are far from being idealized crusaders for justice.
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Theodore Pinnock, California
You may not recognize Pinnock’s name, and there’s a good reason for that. Pinnock was disbarred after filing ADA lawsuits on behalf of plaintiffs who had no idea they were even involved in a lawsuit!
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Scott Johnson, California
Mr. Johnson has been trolling around the state of California in search of minor ADA violations, leaving thousands of lawsuits in his wake. Ironically, Johnson is a quadriplegic himself and should recognize the serious nature of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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E. Eric Guirard and Thomas R. Pittenger, Louisiana
These former lawyers, now disbarred, allowed non-lawyers on their staff to do legal work and charge clients at full legal rates. Does that sound fair to you?
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Mikal C. Watts, Texas
Two Texas law offices exploited language barriers, signing up members of minority communities as plaintiffs in an attempt to “win big” off their settlements.