Legal Malpractice Statistics
The overwhelming majority of legal malpractice claims—over 65 percent—are brought against firms with five or fewer attorneys. According to the American Bar Association (ABA), the types of attorney activities that continue to draw the most malpractice complaints focus on the preparation, filing and transmittal of documents. A recent ABA report noted an extraordinary jump in claims related to pretrial and prehearing activity spiking from 8 percent just four years ago to an unprecedented 19 percent.
The following statistics were recorded by the ABA in their “Profile of Legal Malpractice Claims: 2000-2003” publication.*
Top 5 Problem Practice Areas in Which Legal Malpractice Claims Arise:
- Personal Injury—Plaintiff (19.96% of claims)
- Real Estate (16.46% of claims)
- Personal Injury—Defense (9.96% of claims)
- Family Law (9.58% of claims)
- Estate, Trust, and Probate (8.63% of claims)
Top 5 Problem Activities Committed by the Underlying Attorney:
- Preparation, Filing, Transmittal of Documents (23.08% of claims)
- Pretrial, Prehearing (19.47% of claims)
- Commencement of Action/Proceeding (15.59% of claims)
- Advice (15.07% of claims)
- Settlement/Negotiation (8.2% of claims)
Although you should maintain trust in your attorney, it is also important to question their conduct. At the end of the day, it is your case, and they are working for you, not the other way around.
If you believe that you may have a legal malpractice case, contact The Kassab Law Firm telephone
713-522-7400. Also, feel free to submit our Legal Malpractice Contact Form or print and fax it to
713-522-7410.
* Copies of “Profile of Legal Malpractice Claims: 2000-2003” may be obtained from the ABA Service Center at (800) 285-2221, or go here and search for “Profile.”
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