Opinion ID: 2585254
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: DA7956 (Complaint of Katha Helms)

Text: 2. On October 1, 1997, Katha J. Helms was severely injured in an automobile accident when her automobile left K-99 Highway at a bend between Howard and Severy, Kansas. 3. As a result of this accident, on June 7, 1999, Helms retained Greg Lower as her attorney. 4. On July 15, 1999, Lower wrote to Helms telling her that he intended to refer her case to Wall. Lower asked Helms to sign a copy of the letter and return it to him if she agreed to the referral. 5. On July 15, Lower spoke to Wall concerning Helms' accident and injuries and advised Wall that he planned to recommend to Helms that her case be referred to Wall for representation. 6. On July 16, 1999, Lower wrote to Wall that Helms had orally agreed to the referral. 7. On August 23, 1999, Lower forwarded Helms' written approval of the referral and Lower's office file to Wall. The file contained the investigation report on Helms' accident, nine other auto accident investigation reports occurring in the same general area as Helms' accident, and several letters concerning requests for accident investigation reports to and from various law enforcement agencies, among other things. 8. On October 2, 1999, the [s]tatute of [l]imitation had run in Ms. Helms' case. 9. Prior to the referral of the case to Wall, Lower spoke with Jay Pfeiffer, an engineering expert, about investigating the accident. 10. On November 10, 1999, Steve Bough, an attorney in the firm of Shamberg, Johnson & Bergman, telephoned Wall's office inquiring about the Helms case. Bough left a telephone message for Wall. 11. On reading the telephone message, Wall discovered that the [s]tatute of [l]imitations had run on Helms' claim. 12. On December 20, 1999, Steve Bough telephoned Wall again inquiring about the Helms case. 13. On January 14 and February 28, 2000, Lynn Johnson, a partner in the firm of Shamberg, Johnson & Bergman, wrote to Wall about the Helms case. 14. On February 22, 2000, Wall told Lower that Wall had missed the statute of limitations in Helms' case. 15. On February 23, 2000, Wall wrote to Helms stating that the statute of limitations had run in her case and that she could file a claim against him with his malpractice carrier. 16. Helms did not receive Wall's letter of February 23, 2000, because Helms had moved and was no longer using the post office box address she provided to Lower. 17. On May 15, 2000, Lynn Johnson again wrote to Wall inquiring about Helms' case. 18. On June 19, 2000, Helms called Lower. During their telephone conversation, Helms learned for the first time that the statute of limitations had run in her case. 19. On June 19, after Helms spoke to Lower, Helms telephoned Wall. Wall was not available and Helms left a message for him. 20. On June 23, 2000, Wall returned Helms' telephone call. This telephone conversation was the first personal contact that Wall had with Helms since accepting the referral of her case in July, 1999. 21. On June 23, 2000, Helms filed a complaint with the Disciplinary Administrator. 22. On July 6, 2000, Wall sent a copy of his February 23, 2000, letter to Helms as his response to Helms' complaint. [We note that the letter in the record is dated February 23, 1999.]