Opinion ID: 1304457
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Insurance Matters

Text: Bohlmann and Martinez became social acquaintances in the summer of 1980. Bohlmann immigrated from Germany in 1954 and is now approximately 63 years old. In February of 1984, Bohlmann was involved in an automobile collision for which she received a traffic citation. Claims were made against her by the owners and operator of the other vehicle. Upon notifying her insurance carrier of the accident, she was informed that her insurance had been canceled as of December 31, 1983, because she had failed to sign and return certain forms. In early March of 1984, Bohlmann contacted Martinez to elicit his aid in dealing with the problems arising from the automobile accident. He met with Bohlmann at her house to discuss the matters and agreed to represent her in attempting to secure coverage from her insurance company and in pursuing any claims she might have for the wrongful cancellation of her automobile policy. The respondent told Bohlmann that in representing her in the dispute with the insurance company his fee would be $1,000, half of which was to be paid in advance, together with $80 for court costs. Martinez also apparently agreed to represent Bohlmann concerning the traffic ticket, but a fee for those services was not discussed. Bohlmann paid Martinez a retainer fee of $580, and gave him the traffic citation and the various insurance papers that were in her possession. Thereafter, all the mail that Bohlmann received in relation to the accident was forwarded by her to the respondent's office in Colorado Springs at his request. Martinez was successful in obtaining dismissal of the traffic case. He advised Bohlmann early in June that he had gone to court on her behalf and when the police officer who had issued the ticket failed to appear, the case was dismissed. In August of 1984, after Martinez had made no significant progress concerning the insurance coverage matter, and after other problems had arisen between Bohlmann and Martinez, Bohlmann retained another lawyer. That lawyer attempted on several occasions to retrieve Bohlmann's auto insurance file from Martinez, without success. Although Martinez had lost the file, he never advised Bohlmann or her new attorney of that fact. There is no evidence in the record that any of the claims against Bohlmann related to the accident were ever pursued. No progress was ever made on her claim against the insurance company. No part of the retainer fee paid by Bohlmann to Martinez was returned to her, and Martinez never furnished Bohlmann with an accounting for his services in this matter. The hearing board concluded that Martinez's conduct in the Bohlmann insurance matter was neglectful and that he acted improperly in retaining the fee without accounting to Bohlmann for his services.