Attorney sues former firm

CHARLESTON - A former attorney at The Grubb Law Group has sued the firm over a slip and fall that occurred in May 2004.

Lisa A. Green filed the lawsuit herself May 10 in Kanawha Circuit Court and also named David Grubb as a defendant.

Green says she began her employment there April 8, 2003, and her office was located on the third floor.

She says no handrail was installed in the stairway between the second and third floor, and on May 10, 2004, she fell approximately eight steps, suffering severe injuries to her lower back and neck.

The Grubb Law Group has its offices in a three-story building on Virginia Street in Charleston.

Green charges the defendants with deliberate intent.

Judge James Stucky has been assigned the case. Green is seeking compensatory damages.

In March, the state Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from automaker DaimlerChrysler concerning the Grubb Law Group. As a result, the firm will collect $143,026.66 for representing clients who won less than a 20th of that amount at trial.

Grubb Law Group represented Larry George and Carolyn George, who claimed they bought a defective Dodge Intrepid. They filed 12 counts seeking damages.

DaimlerChrysler offered to settle for $10,500. The Georges turned it down.

Kanawha County Circuit Judge James Stucky conducted a jury trial in 2004. The Georges prevailed on one count, breach of implied merchantability.

The jury awarded $4,500 for repairs and $2,450 for annoyance and inconvenience, for a total of $6,950.

Interest raised the verdict to $8,750, still less than the settlement offer.

Attorney David Grubb then submitted a bill for $143,026.66.

It included $58,950 for 196.5 hours of his work at $300 an hour and $61,402.50 for 272.9 hours of Cameron McKinney's work at $225 an hour.

Stucky declared the bill reasonable, finding it consistent with prior awards in his court.

DaimlerChrysler appealed, arguing that the fee encouraged unnecessary fee driven litigation and discouraged settlement.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number 06-C-883