How Much Is a Connecticut Legal Malpractice Case Worth?
When you hire a lawyer to help you with a legal issue, you expect them to meet professional standards and fulfill certain obligations.
They are supposed to fight zealously for clients and protect their interests.
Attorneys should also operate by professional rules and codes of conduct.
If your lawyer doesn’t meet those standards or fails to meet their obligations and you suffer damages as a result, you may have a claim for legal malpractice.
If your attorney has committed malpractice, you may be entitled to compensation. But, you might wonder, How much is a legal malpractice case worth? The amount your case is worth depends on various factors. No two cases will be worth the same amount.
Our experienced Connecticut legal malpractice attorneys will discuss what legal malpractice is and what damages might be available.
Learn how we can assist you by calling (860) 561-0651 or sending us an online message today.
Our Practice is Limited to Connecticut
We handle Connecticut legal malpractice claims. We won’t review cases where financial losses are less than $100,000.
What Is Legal Malpractice?
We hire lawyers to help us with complex legal issues we don’t have the knowledge or experience to manage. We rely on seasoned lawyers to help us and give us legal guidance and advice. Legal malpractice occurs when an attorney’s representation falls below the expected standard, and their mistake or negligence results in a loss or injury to you—the client.
Legal malpractice can take many forms.
Common examples of legal malpractice claims include:
- Failing to meet a deadline,
- Commingling or misuse of funds,
- Representing a client when a conflict of interest exists,
- Committing fraud,
- Breaching confidentiality,
- Preparing inadequately,
- Committing errors of law or strategy,
- Performing inadequate investigation or discovery,
- Drafting documents incompetently,
- Failing to appear in court,
- Agreeing to unauthorized settlements, and
- Lacking communication with the client.
Other actions or omissions may be malpractice if they deviate substantially from the professional standards that other competent attorneys would adhere to.
In Connecticut, a claim for legal malpractice is a civil action that seeks monetary compensation for your losses. These losses, or damages, are due to an attorney’s or law firm’s negligence in providing legal advice or services.
Proving Legal Malpractice
There are four elements to prove in a legal malpractice claim:
- Duty—an attorney-client relationship created a professional duty of care;
- Breach—an attorney’s wrongful act or omission breached the duty of care;
- Causation—the wrongful act or omission caused the client harm; and
- Damages—you must have experienced actual losses due to the breach.
If you prove these elements, you may then be entitled to compensation for your damages.
How Much Is a Legal Malpractice Case Worth?
If you think you have been harmed by legal malpractice, you may want to know, How much can I sue my lawyer for in a negligence case?
Determining how much you can recover for legal malpractice damages involves weighing many factors, such as the following:
- The severity of the case,
- The extent of your losses, and
- Factors elevating your attorney’s behavior to reckless or wanton misconduct.
Generally, you may be able to recover compensation for losses caused by the attorney’s improper or negligent conduct. The damages may be compensatory or punitive.
Compensatory Damages
The plaintiff will recover compensatory damages for financial losses incurred from the attorney’s conduct. These damages aim to make you whole by putting you in the position you’d be in if the malpractice had never occurred.
In other words, the difference between the financial result of the original case and the likely financial result if the malpractice had not happened is likely the value of your damages.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are awarded to punish the attorney for particularly egregious or improper conduct and to discourage similar future behavior.
To recover punitive damages, a plaintiff must show that the attorney’s actions were reckless or in conscious disregard of the client’s rights.
Other Damages
You may also be able to recover mitigation costs. If you hired another lawyer to correct the errors of your prior attorney, you may be able to recover the fees and costs you paid for the second attorney. Be sure to keep invoices, receipts, and other documentation to provide as evidence of the costs you incurred.
In Connecticut, you can rarely seek or recover damages for emotional distress in legal malpractice claims.
Estimating the value of a legal malpractice case can be challenging. The best way to understand the range of legal malpractice damages that might be available to you is to speak with an experienced attorney.
StangerLaw LLC Can Help Determine How Much Your Legal Malpractice Claim Is Worth
You might have suffered emotionally and financially if you trusted and relied on an attorney who ended up handling your case negligently. It may now be hard to imagine hiring and trusting another attorney.
You can confidently rely on StangerLaw LLC to support you through this complicated and stressful situation.
Bruce Stanger has been practicing law for over 45 years, and he is committed to honoring professional and ethical standards. He is a member of the Hartford County Bar Association’s Ethics Committee and the Connecticut Bar Association’s Professional Ethics and Professional Discipline Committees.
Bruce has focused his practice on helping those harmed by attorney misconduct.
Contact StangerLaw LLC today to answer your questions, determine if you have a malpractice claim, how much your claim might be worth, and discuss your options and rights.
Get started by calling (860) 561-0651 or filling out our online form.
