Opinion ID: 1161184
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: count four eugene neville hall, sr.

Text: Hall, a married man with six children (two living at home), a resident of Great Falls, Montana, sustained a back injury on September 18, 1965, ( Tr. 996 ) while working for Bob and Ole's Conoco. ( Tr. 199-200 ) ( and Exhibit SC No. 5 ). A customer who identified himself as a private detective working part time for Bretz, recommended that claimant contact Bretz, ( Tr. 201 ), which he did, ( Tr. 203 ), on February 11, 1966 (Tr. 995 ). He told Bretz about the service station accident and also that he had been previously injured (back injury) in Iowa. ( Tr. 204, 995 ). Bretz said he would write a letter on the Iowa matter and if we don't get anything there ... ... or any settlement of any kind ... then let's pursue the Montana claim. ( Tr. 204 ). By Exhibit K Hall authorized the investigation. Exhibit EEE is the documentary file showing the effort, and the failure to re-open the Iowa Industrial Accident claim because of the running of a statute of limitations. Bretz made a trip to Iowa to investigate the claim and to secure local counsel ( Tr. 1001 ); the application to re-open was set for hearing, which the claimant advised Bretz he was too busy to attend. ( Tr. 1000 ). Hall did authorize the association of Iowa counsel ( Ex. K ) and the expenditure of $50.00 to hire counsel ( Tr. 206 ). Bretz later advised Hall that the Iowa claim was no good ( Tr. 207. ) There was no fee arrangement made with Hall on the Iowa claim because, in Iowa fees are fixed by the Commission and Bretz believes that he so advised Hall ( Tr. 1028 ). No fees were fixed by the Iowa Commission ( Tr. 1029 ) and Bretz determined he should be paid on this claim at the time of recovery on the Montana IAB claim ( Tr. 1029 ). When Hall first consulted Bretz, he signed two or three documents in blank ( Tr. 204-205 ), one of which was the appointment of Bretz as his attorney-in-fact relative to the Montana IAB claim, ( Ex. SC 18, Ex. GGG ); this was later dated November 3, 1970; also a designation of Bretz as his attorney, dated February 11, 1966 ( Ex. SC 5 ). The problem confronting Bretz on this claim is amply expressed in the inter-office communication of the IAB file, and dated October 27, 1970, by J.J. Carden, Chairman: This claim has been in dispute for some time in view of the position of the employer that the injury did not arise out of his employment. Bretz then presented a statement from the employer indicating that he did recall the incident and felt that it was an aggravation of a preexisting condition. After some discussion it was agreed that if the employer would submit a Form 37, Employer's First Report of Injury, which is the obligation of Bretz to obtain, then we would settle the matter for $2,500.00 which includes all liabilities over this controverted occurrence. ( Ex. SC 5 ) Bretz obtained the Form 37 on October 29, 1970 and filed the same with the IAB on November 4, 1970. ( Ex. SC 5 ). Additionally Exhibit M reflects that Bretz caused extensive investigation work to be undertaken; bills rendered and paid by him for such services totaled $265.80 in addition to medical bills of $131.50. On November 6, 1970 a form Petition for Compromise Settlement in the amount of $2,000.00 was filed with the IAB; this bore Hall's signature and Bretz' signature as a witness. ( Ex. SC 5-No. 1 ). Hall signed this petition in blank ( Tr. 239-240 ) and had no knowledge of any petition for any particular amount of money ( Tr. 240-241 ) and never knew of any $2,000.00 settlement until the Special Investigators came to his house ( Tr. 241 ), just before Thanksgiving of 1973 ( Tr. 227 ). On November 16, 1970, an Order Approving Compromise Settlement of the claim for $2,000.00 was signed by J.J. Carden and Jack C. Carver, Commissioner, ( Ex. SC 5 ) and on the same day a letter was sent to Bretz sending a copy of the Order and a check payable to Hall in the amount of $2,000.00 ( Ex. SC 5 ). The check is Exhibit SC 12. Bretz endorsed Hall's name to the check ( Tr. 1037 ); it was either cashed or deposited to the 517 Strain Building account by one of his secretaries ( Tr. 1038 ); no part thereof was put in cash in an earmarked envelope in the safe because the money was disbursed too quickly. ( Tr. 1038 ). He did not see or talk with Hall after the date of the check, November 16, 1970. ( Tr. 1039 ). The next time the Hall matter was raised was when he got a letter dated December 24, 1973 from Attorney Huss ( Tr. 1040 ) ( Ex. No. 17 ); Bretz had not previously furnished Hall with an accounting ( Tr. 1043 ). Bretz did call Hall and advise that he had a tentative offer of settlement but would not say for how much ( Tr. 217 ). At a later time Hall received a call from Bretz's secretary advising that the settlement had come in; when asked as to how much, she stated she didn't know and that it was up to Mr. Bretz to tell him ( Tr. 219 ); when asked how much he, Hall, would receive, she replied that she would have to talk to Mr. Bretz who was in Helena and would call him back ( Tr. 220 ). Later that same day she did call Hall back, telling him that she had called Bretz in Helena, and Bretz had authorized $500.00, and that she would put a check for $500.00 in the mail, which Hall received the next day. ( Tr. 220-221 ). It was drawn on the office account ( Tr. 221 ) and no accounting accompanied it. ( Tr. 222 ). Hall tried several times afterwards to see Bretz to get an accounting, but he was unavailable and did not call as the secretary promised. ( Tr. 223 ). He also wrote Bretz a letter asking for an accounting, but received no reply ( Tr. 225 ). He then contacted Attorney Huss to get an accounting from Bretz ( Tr. 229 ). He was furnished with an accounting after Huss obtained the same from Bretz ( Tr. 231 ) ( Ex. 17 & 18 ). The accounting rendered by Bretz was in his letter of December 26, 1973 to Attorney Huss ( Ex. 17 ). It shows a total recovery of $2,000.00; attorney fee of $350.00, and expenses of $86.70 on the Iowa claim for a total of fees and costs on Iowa of $436.70; attorney fee on the Montana IAB case of $666.00, investigative expense $265.80, and medical expenses paid $131.50, or a total of fees and expenses on the Montana IAB case of $1,062.30. Or, analyzed differently, the total fees charged Hall were $1,016.00, total expenses $484.00, and a net recovery to the client of $500.00 ( Exhibit 17 ). On November 23, 1973 Hall wrote a letter to the Industrial Accident Board ( Ex. SC 5 ) complaining about the settlement He asserted therein that the signature on the check was a forgery; also that my attorney told me that the settlement was only $1,000.00 and consequently I was only paid by the attorney's secretary $500.00.