Reminger Secures Plaintiff Verdict in Fraud and Business Interference Case

Adriann McGee, Kenton Steele, and Mary Kraft recently represented the Estate of a prominent solo practitioner with one of the largest plaintiff’s workers compensation clienteles in Ohio. Shortly after our client passed away, the Defendant, who is also a plaintiff’s workers compensation attorney, summoned our client’s wife into her deceased husband’s law office, dictated a letter, and directed her to send it to all of her client’s 1,811 clients. Defendant told her that the letter would preserve the value of her deceased husband’s book of business, and keep as many clients with the “firm” as possible. Unbeknownst to her, the letter, which also included an amended fee agreement and a R-2 WC form, had the opposite effect, diverting clients to Defendant for himself. Over 900 clients signed up with Defendant as their new attorney. As a result, Defendant collected fee checks belonging to our client’s Estate, and the Estate never had the opportunity to sell the practice, which had an appraised value of $641,000.

After deliberating for approximately three hours, the jury returned with a plaintiff’s verdict on both claims, including punitive damages. The total award amounted to $1,198,629.77. Our clients are elated with the outcome, feeling that justice has been served.