Gurski v. Rosenblum and Filan, LLC
Connecticut Supreme Court
885 A.2d 163 (2005)
After podiatrist Gurski's (plaintiff) insurer withdrew coverage and his law firm (defendant) failed to appear at settlement hearings, causing a default judgment for $152,000 against him in an underlying medical malpractice suit by patient Lee, Gurski -- unable to pay due to his own bankruptcy -- assigned to Lee his legal malpractice claim against the law firm, with any recovery going to satisfy her judgment; a jury awarded Gurski $136,800 against the firm, assigned to Lee. The law firm appealed the assignment's validity.
Whether assignment of a legal malpractice action against a third party to an adversary in the underlying litigation giving rise to the legal malpractice action is prohibited as a matter of public policy.