Bar Ass'n v. Brunson

304 N.E.2d 250, 37 Ohio Misc. 61, 66 Ohio Op. 2d 144, 1973 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 194
CourtCuyahoga County Common Pleas Court
DecidedOctober 30, 1973
DocketNo. 916,473
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 304 N.E.2d 250 (Bar Ass'n v. Brunson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bar Ass'n v. Brunson, 304 N.E.2d 250, 37 Ohio Misc. 61, 66 Ohio Op. 2d 144, 1973 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 194 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1973).

Opinion

McMonagle, J.

1. This is an action in which the plaintiffs, who are the major bar associations in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, filed a complaint asking that the court permanently enjoin the defendant, who is not licensed to practice law, from engaging in practices which the plaintiffs claim constitute the practice of law. While defendants are referred to in the pleading, there is actually only one defendant — Thurman Brunson, who has apparently been doing business under the name of Brunson Independent Adjustment Company and City-Wide Claim Consultants. The matter has now come before the court on the plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment.

'2. A stipulation granting leave to the defendant to move or plead herein was filed with the court on May 13, 1973, showing Myron C. Hoff as attorney for the defendant. The deposition of the defendant was taken by the plaintiffs [62]*62on May 30, 1973, at which he was represented by Mr. Hoff. Mr. Hoff subsequently withdrew as counsel for the defendant. No responsive pleadings have been filed herein but notice was duly given to the defendant personally and to Mr. Hoff of the proceedings.

3. Plaintiffs have filed with the court, in support of their motion, a transcript of the said deposition together with a transcript of proceedings of the Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee of the Cuyahoga County Bar Association held on February 12,1973, and attended by the defendant Thurman Brunson and the committee members, namely:

Frank Mancino, Chairman
John A. Murphy, Jr.
William Westley, II
John Preston
Robert Fay
Fred Weisman
Russell R. Baron
Theodore A. Gulia, Jr.
Austin Klein

4. It is the claim of the plaintiffs that the acts of the defendant which constitute the unlawful practice of the law consisted of his having solicited the representation of persons with bodily injury claims for the purpose of representing them in the evaluation, investigation and negotiation for settlement and in the settlement of their claims; his advertising in newspapers and otherwise offering such services. There is further the claim of the plaintiffs that the defendant had actually undertaken the representation of such claimants and had obtained medical reports in their behalf and had contacted witnesses and had actively negotiated with insurance companies as a representative of bodily injury claimants and did ultimately settle some bodily injury claims for claimants who were charged a fee by the defendant.

5. The defendant, while denying that there is anything illegal about his activities or his business, did admit the performance of the acts complained of, in his deposition at page 163, as follows:

[63]*63‘ ‘ Q. You. do state to the individual claimant your evaluation of the claim, do you not?
“A. Yes.
“Q. Your opinion as to value?
“A. Yes. I show them what I believe the value is.
“Q. And you set forth your opinion as to value to the insurance carrier in a writing later?
“A. On the personal injury sheet, yes.
“Q. And before you ever decide the value, all these various factors that you talked about are important, and even others that you mentioned in your testimony here today, if I am not mistaken
“You mentioned the statute of limitations. Now, for example, with respect to the little boy, what was the statute of limitations in his case?
“A. Which little boy?
‘ ‘ Q. Some little boy was struck by a car and—
‘1 The Witness: Now, you say what the statute of limitations on that is?
“Q. Yes. Two years for a child?
“A. Not for a child, but for his mother or his father. His mother is responsible for the child.
“Q. So the statute of limitations would be on the mother’s claim or father’s claim for expenses incurred for the care of the child; is that what you mean?
“A. For the child, because they are responsible, yes. The child can’t initiate a suit.
“Q. Well, what would the statute of limitations be for the mother or father in their claim for the medical expenses incurred on behalf of the child?
“A. For the medical expenses incurred?
“Q. Yes.
“A. Just the medical expenses.
“Q. Well, is there any other right the mother has that you know of or that the father has if a child is hurt?
“A. Well, I have known the child to be compensated for pain and suffering and all the rest, not just the medical.
“Q. That would be the child’s claim?
“A. Yes.
“Q. Now, the father’s claim, if the father incurred [64]*64expense for the little boy that was hit by the car, what would the statute of limitations be for the father, to incur his medical expenses among other things, that he might be entitled to recover for?
“A. Really, I don’t understand your question. I know two years is the statute of limitations, as I stated before.”

The answers of the defendant with reference to the statute of limitations obviously established that he did not know the law with reference to the subjects he discussed.

The following appears in defendant’s deposition, at page 167 with respect to his activities:

“Q. You have also advertised in the Yellow Pages.of the telephone book, have you not?
“A. Yes.
“Q. And that advertisement was placed by you and it concerns the Brunson investigating company?
“A. Yes.”

6. The defendant published and distributed brochures in which he outlined the services he was offering, as follows:

Plaintiff’s Exhibit No. 1 — Questions and Answers contained in Brochure

“Q. What is the purpose of City-Wide Claim Consultants?
“A. The purpose of City-Wide walk in claim service is to offer a prospective claimant the chance to find out what the fair value of his claim is and to give you, the insurance company, a chance to settle quickly.
“Q. Being a new service of this type, how do you inform the community about it?
“ A. We advertise locally in the newspapers and radio. If a person is involved in an accident, he can come to our office and have his claim evaluated.
“Q. Can anyone do this?
“A. No. Only a claimant that was injured due to an insurance negligence. There must be no dispute as to liability.
* #
“Q. How does this service work?

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Related

Cuyahoga County Bar Ass'n v. Gold Shield Inc.
369 N.E.2d 1232 (Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, 1975)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
304 N.E.2d 250, 37 Ohio Misc. 61, 66 Ohio Op. 2d 144, 1973 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 194, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bar-assn-v-brunson-ohctcomplcuyaho-1973.