Wilkes-Barre
- A Luzerne County jury awarded officials from a Hazleton-area construction company more than $3.4 million in a malpractice lawsuit against a law firm.
Officials with Slusser Brothers Trucking and Excavating Co. Inc. filed suit, through the Powell Law Group, in 2000 against the law firm of Laputka, Bayless, Ecker, & Cohn, P.C. and attorney Martin Cohn.
Dan Fee, a spokesman for the Powell firm, said the Slusser officials were purchasing properties to expand their business. In donig that, the company was relying on information from the Laputka firm.
But the Slusser officials were given "erroneous information and incorrect advice" from the Laputka firm, Fee said.Participants
were instructed not to divulge or discuss the details.
That information and advice had an adverse impact on the Slusser company. Fee said, by complicating and delaying the sale of the Slusser company to Pennsy Supply in 1999.
Slusser incurred significant professional fees because the delay necessitated redoing work that had already been completed and created a more complex closing of the transaction, according to court papers.
The suit recently went to trial before Court of Common Pleas Judge Mark Ciavarella.
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The jury rendered its verdict late Monday afternoon, ruling that Cohn was negligent in his representation of the Slusser officials and that caused them harm.
Cohn on Tuesday vowed to appeal.
"We certainly will be appealing it," Cohn said. "We think there are solid grounds for appeal with regard to several of the elements of the verdict."
The verdict calls for these payments: $2 million in damages to the Slusser officials for delay of sales; $1 million to the Slusser officials for future damages, $128,588 to the Slusser officials for opportunity costs of time; $209,281 to the Slusser officials for other professional fees; and $73,272 to the Powell firm for fees.
"They're obviously very happy with the outcome of the case," Fee said.
Attorney G. Christopher Parrish, who represented the Laputka firm, did not return a call Tuesday.
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