Opinion ID: 2292412
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Findings of Fact: Tanner Case

Text: This Court finds by clear and convincing evidence that Respondent was presented with a plethora of professional problems in regards to Alice Tanner. And as Mr. Cockrell testified, undoubtedly he was treating her as a `whole person' and `keeping her on this side of sanity' as far as her relationship with her husband was concerned. More specifically, however, he was asked to represent her when she was injured on August 26 and September 8, 1981 while riding an MTA bus (Court files, Petitioner's Exhibits 11, 12). In the instant proceeding, William Edgar Carson, a Transit Casualty Company claims supervisor, testified as to the claim filed by Alice Tanner. Mr. Carson, in reading from his records, showed a letter of representation from Mr. Cockrell dated September 21, 1981. (Petitioner's Exhibit 9). Then his records reflected a series of phone calls made by the casualty company to Respondent which were never acknowledged. Finally, on January 20, 1983, Mr. Ed Brizendine, his supervisor, wrote a letter to Mr. Cockrell informing him that a year and four months had passed and that the case would be closed if he was not advised to the contrary. Dear Mr. Cockrell: It has been a year and four months since we have received your letter of representation in regard to this case. To date we have received no documentation of any description, despite numerous efforts to contact you and your office. If you are still interested in this case, please so advise and furnish documentation. If you are not interested please so advise, and we will close it.... (T. 101). Mr. Carson testified that no response was obtained and the file was closed on May 18, 1983. In response, Mr. Cockrell testified that he could not file a claim because, in turning the case over to his paralegals, he is not sure whether the medical report from Dr. Mitchell was received; and if received, was somewhere in the warehouse files: Q. Mr. Cockrell, it is true, is it not that none of your files demonstrate any medical records on Mrs. Tanner? A. To my knowledge I never got it (Dr. Mitchell's report). Certainly the records do not show, but that takes us back to the warehouse again. (T. 125, 126). Mr. Cockrell further testified that there was no other medical evidence of the accident other than Dr. Mitchell's report. In support of his efforts to contact Dr. Mitchell, Respondent submitted a letter from his office requesting the report (Respondent's Exhibit 4). In support of his efforts to contact Ms. Tanner's employers, Respondent submitted a letter drafted by his paralegal, Miss Haines (Respondent's Exhibit 5). He then introduced a profile sheet on Ms. Tanner (Respondent's Exhibit 6) and a series of letters dated July 9, 1984 (Respondent's Exhibit 7), July 22, 1984 (Respondent's Exhibit 9), and September 12, 1984 (Respondent's Exhibit 10), informing Ms. Tanner that her case was still in the process of being settled. Alice Tanner died on August 25, 1984 as a result of an automobile accident. (Petitioner's Exhibit 8). As to bringing a claim on behalf of the estate, Mr. Cockrell testified that it was a personal injury claim and without her deposition to introduce into evidence, everything would be hearsay: ... I've had some unfortunate experiences in prior cases like this, where you go to a lot of time, trouble and expense and everything, where there's a missing ingredient ... it's a personal injury matter, and without her deposition ... and she's dead ... Everything that I have, practically, would be hearsay. (T. 124). Therefore, when asked to respond to the Transit Casualty Company's interrogatories, `he could not make out a case.'