In 1998, our daughter passed away at birth. During that devastating time, we hired an attorney named Ryan to represent us. He advised us that we needed to file a certain document to "show we were serious." Less than a month later, he contacted us saying the hospital was ready to settle.
At that point, he told us his fee would be 40% plus expenses. I questioned this, as we had understood the fee would be 33% unless the case went to court. He insisted that because we had filed the document he recommended, the higher percentage applied. I objected and told him I didn't care whether we settled or not. I felt we had been misled.
During that conversation, my phone began beeping because the battery was dying. Ryan became concerned that I might be recording him. I told him he had nothing to worry about and explained the beeping was just the low battery before ending the call.
Ultimately, we felt we had little choice but to proceed. He reduced his fee slightly to 36% for the hospital settlement and kept it at 40% for the doctor's portion, both plus expenses. In the end, after expenses, he received more from the doctor's settlement than we did. Many of the expenses raised concerns, including charges that appeared to involve restaurants and individuals we believed were his associates.
I attempted to file a complaint with the State Bar in Austin in 2000, but found the process difficult and did not complete it. Since then, our family has endured further loss with the passing of our son.
Looking back, I believe people should be cautious and fully informed when seeking legal help, especially during the most vulnerable moments of their lives. To be fair, this occurred years ago, and I cannot say whether this attorney's practices have changed since then. I share this only so others can be aware and protect themselves. read more
