Personal injury law firm sued by client for allegedly misappropriating funds

GRETNA – A personal injury law firm is being sued by a client who claims two lawsuits they brought on her behalf were settled without her knowledge and the funds from the settlements were misappropriated.

Sara J. Pitre filed suit against Mcquaig & Associates LLC and Scott W. Mcquaig in the 24th Judicial District Court on Nov. 26.

Pitre alleges that she contracted Mcquaig & Associates to represent her in a personal injury case in which she sustained second degree burns in an accident when she was attempting to purchase food at Whole Foods in New Orleans. The plaintiff contends that Mcquaig filed a lawsuit on her behalf in the Orleans Parish Civil District Court and later settled that same lawsuit without her knowledge or consent. Pitre further asserts that Mcquaig & Associates never provided her with the settlement funds and that they were in fact misappropriated by the law firm or its employees.

The plaintiff also claims that she retained Mcquaig & Associates to represent her in a lawsuit stemming from an automobile accident she was in on Jan. 20, 2012. Pitre alleges that the auto accident case was also inappropriately settled  and she never received the settlement funds that she purports were misappropriated by Mcquaig & Associates and its employees.

The plaintiff contends that Mcquaig avoided her attempts to contact him about the cases and ignored her telephone calls until she hired legal counsel to investigate the issue.

The defendant is accused of legal malpractice, misappropriation of funds, failing to follow rules of ethical professional conduct and settling the plaintiff's claims for less than the compensatory value.

An unspecified amount in damages is sought for funds for full redress for injuries she sustained in the cases brought on her behalf by Mcquaig & Associates, funds misappropriated by Mcquaig & Associates and attorney fees.

Pitre is represented by David Greenberg of Gretna-based Greenberg & LaPeyronnie LLC.

The case has been assigned to Division K Judge Ellen Shirer Kovach.

Case no. 744-653.