Opinion ID: 2634770
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Complaint of Shawn Brown (DA8682)

Text: On approximately November 9, 1999, Shawn Brown retained the respondent to represent him regarding a slip and fall accident which occurred at a Hardee's Restaurant on July 28, 1999. On November 29, 1999, Mr. Brown and the respondent entered into a contingent fee contract. On July 27, 2001, the last day of the statute of limitations, the respondent filed suit on behalf of Mr. Brown. The respondent had not previously handled a slip and fall case and did not possess the requisite knowledge necessary to handle such a case. After the respondent filed suit, she failed to even attempt to achieve service of process on the defendant. She took no action on Mr. Brown's behalf following the filing of the law suit. On October 7, 2001, the respondent went on maternity leave. On October 25, 2001, the court reviewed the lawsuit. The respondent did not appear in behalf of Mr. Brown. No one from her firm, Speer, Holliday & Veatch, appeared in behalf of Mr. Brown. The court continued the case to November 19, 2001. At that time, again, no one appeared in behalf of Mr. Brown. Because the respondent failed to achieve service and because no one appeared in behalf of Mr. Brown, on November 19, 2001, the court dismissed Mr. Brown's case. In November 2001, while on maternity leave, the respondent left the employment of Speer, Holliday & Veatch. The respondent failed to communicate with Mr. Brown regarding the status of his case. Although Mr. Brown learned on his own that the case had been dismissed, the respondent never informed Mr. Brown of that fact. According to Mr. Brown, he owed $15,000 in outstanding medical bills due to his injury from his fall at Hardee's. In September 2002, Mr. Brown filed a complaint with the Disciplinary Administrator's office. Thereafter, on October 22, 2002, the respondent filed a written response to the initial complaint.