HOUSTON (Legal Newsline)— A Texas man alleges a Houston law firm he fired is falsely attempting to get 60% in contingency fees from his personal injury case.
Jose Mejia filed a complaint Dec. 14 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas Houston Division against Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner (AW) alleging breach of contract and other claims.
According to Mejia's complaint, he suffered an electrical shock while working as an HVAC laborer in August of 2021, which left him permanently disabled. He claims he hired Fleming Law PC to represent him in his personal injury case with Fleming Law bringing on AW as co-counsel. His injury case seeks $30 million.
Mejia alleges that according to the engagement agreement, AW and Fleming were entitled to 40% to 45% in contingency fees and that he fired AW in October of 2022, for doing a "poor job." Specifically, Mejia claims an inexperienced associate attorney from AW was assigned to his case who failed to take depositions or retain necessary experts while Fleming staffed his case to an attorney with more than 35 years experience in personal injury.
He alleges that AW now falsely claims it is entitled to a 60% of "any future contingency fees." Mejia also claims that AW interfered with his contractual relationship with Fleming Law by withholding information and falsely telling Fleming Law it was going to be fired by Mejia.
Mejia seeks monetary relief, interest, trial by jury and all other just relief. He is represented by Guillermo Alarcon of Armbrust & Brown PLLC in Austin, Texas.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas Houston Division case number 4:22-CV-04331