Jan 29
Court Suspends Rather than Disbars NH Lawyer for Insurance Fraud
Recently when a lawyer in New Hampshire confessed to insurance fraud, rather than being disbarred he was instead suspended from practicing law for two years.
It may seem like an unusually light punishment for such an offense, and it is in some ways. Apparently there were mitigating circumstances in this particular case. But what message does this send? A relatively publicized case-at least in the New England area-it seems like the punishment should come with some kind of…disclaimer.
Fraud insurance claims hurt more than just the insurance companies. It’s a large part of the reason that insurance premiums are so high: providers need to pay for the false claims filed by those who want to keep their own premiums down or make a little extra money.
The New Hampshire lawyer admittedly acted selfish and lied but the “other factors” that influenced his decision were apparently understandable enough to keep him in a job. The fact that it was a one-time incident also came into play and, it must be said, that a clothing store owner, for example, would not lose his shop over the same crime.
The lawyer was also ordered suspended jail time and a fine, the usual punishment meted out in insurance fraud cases.
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January 31st, 2008 at 11:41 pm
While a clothing store owner would not be required to give up his shop, as this post points out, a person who is selling clothing for a living does not take upon himself the same set of responsibilities as an attorney does. I, for one, would hesitate to hire an attorney who was guilty of insurance fraud, or something similar. Perhaps this lawyer could/should find another field of work, or another use for his legal education?
Jerry
http://www.leads4insurance.com