Greenwich law firm sued for legal malpractice by German insurer

A Greenwich law firm, the J. Michael Lewis Law Offices, and its principal J. Michael Lewis, are being sued for $1.8 million in legal malpractice damages by Württembergische Versicherung AG, a German commercial and personal insurance services provider.

According to a Connecticut Law Tribune report, Württembergische Versicherung retained Lewis to provide a coverage determination in the 2013 case of Miller v. Kenny and Safeco Insurance Company of Illinois, a personal injury car accident case filed in the Washington Court of Appeals. Safeco indicated the case could have resolved for $10 million, but the lawsuit alleges that was rejected based on Lewis”™ advice.

In its lawsuit, Württembergische Versicherung claimed that Lewis provided the company with incorrect information involving the case, and that his “subsequent negligence and malpractice resulted in Safeco-Illinois increasing its settlement during the Miller claim litigation to approximately five times its initial settlement offer.” Württembergische Versicherung and another insurer settled the case for $15.3 million, with Wurtt paying $3.83 million.

In its lawsuit, Württembergische Versicherung claimed that its “share of that rejected offer would have been $2 million, adding that Lewis’ actions “violated Washington”™s Insurance Fair Conduct Act and Consumer Protection Act as a matter of law, Safeco-Illinois demanded approximately five times its initial settlement demand to insurers on the basis it was entitled to recover litigation costs, interest and treble damages.”

Lewis could not be reached for comment.