Opinion ID: 1782322
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: in the matter of d.b.

Text: ¶ 10 In 2001 D.B. was involved in an automobile accident. In November 2002 D.B. and her husband contacted Attorney Woods because their insurance company had declined to pay D.B.'s chiropractor bills. Attorney Woods agreed to represent D.B., and D.B. signed a contingent fee agreement with Attorney Woods. ¶ 11 Attorney Woods did not file a lawsuit on behalf of D.B. until one day before the applicable statute of limitations expired. Then, Attorney Woods failed to serve the defendants with an authenticated copy of the summons and complaint as required by Wis. Stat. § 801.02(2). Accordingly, the circuit court scheduled a hearing to dismiss the lawsuit on January 11, 2005. Attorney Woods failed to advise D.B. of this hearing. Attorney Woods attended the dismissal hearing, and the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice on January 11, 2005, because of Attorney Woods' failure to serve an authenticated copy of the summons and complaint. Attorney Woods failed to notify D.B. that her case was dismissed. Several times after the January 11, 2005, hearing, D.B. spoke with Attorney Woods about her lawsuit, and each time Attorney Woods told her that her case was proceeding normally. ¶ 12 D.B.'s father died in the fall of 2006. At that time, she learned that Attorney Woods was handling her father's estate. D.B. spoke with Attorney Woods several times about her personal injury lawsuit as well as her father's estate. At no time did Attorney Woods inform D.B. that her lawsuit had been dismissed. ¶ 13 In November 2006 D.B. informed Attorney Woods that she had learned her lawsuit had been dismissed. She attempted to arrange a meeting with Attorney Woods to discuss the matter, but Attorney Woods failed to appear at the meeting. ¶ 14 In January 2007 D.B. retained Attorney Brian Maloney to pursue a legal malpractice action against Attorney Woods. Attorney Maloney requested D.B.'s file but Attorney Woods failed to respond to these requests and did not make D.B.'s file available until he was deposed in June 2007. ¶ 15 Based on the foregoing, the OLR complaint alleged and the parties later stipulated as follows: By failing to file a personal injury lawsuit until the day before the expiration of the statute of limitations and, in addition, in failing to serve the defendants in such lawsuit with an authenticated copy of the summons and complaint within 90 days after filing, resulting in the dismissal of the lawsuit with prejudice, Attorney Woods failed to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing his clients, in violation of SCR 20:1.3. [2] By failing to inform D.B. that the defendants had filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, and that the court had scheduled a hearing on defendants' motion to dismiss and, in addition, by failing to inform D.B. of the court's order dismissing the lawsuit with prejudice, Attorney Woods failed to keep his clients reasonably informed about the status of their case, in violation of former SCR 20:1.4(a). [3] By failing to explain to D.B. the ramifications of the dismissal of the lawsuit with prejudice at any time from January 11, 2005, through November 29, 2006, Attorney Woods deprived his client of the ability to make informed decisions regarding the representation and thereby violated SCR 20:1.4(b). [4] By failing to respond to successor counsel's requests for D.B.'s file, Attorney Woods failed to take steps to protect his clients' interests, such as surrendering their file, in violation of SCR 20:1.16(d). [5] By failing to inform D.B. of the dismissal of the lawsuit, notwithstanding multiple direct inquiries to Attorney Woods concerning the status of their case made after the dismissal with prejudice of the suit, Attorney Woods violated SCR 20:8.4(c). [6]