Paul J. Harris
CHARLESTON – The estate of a Cross Lanes woman has sued a suspended Wheeling attorney for legal malpractice.
Raymond Good, administrator of the estate of Janet C. Good, filed his complaint last month in Kanawha Circuit Court against Paul J. Harris and Harris Law Offices.
Last fall, Harris was indicted by a federal grand jury on 29 counts of money laundering and fraud for fraudulently mishandling client funds and using client funds to conduct unlawful monetary transactions. And in March, the state Supreme Court suspended Harris’ law license for two years.
“The role of an attorney demands the highest level of care and professionalism, which makes the circumstances surrounding this case deeply troubling,” Benjamin B. Ware, one of the attorneys representing the estate, told The West Virginia Record. “We look forward to pursuing the estate's claims in court, as we believe serious breaches and legal malpractice have occurred at the hands of Mr. Harris.”
According to the Good complaint, the couple hired Harris to represent them in a medical malpractice and wrongful death case stemming from Janet Good’s death on September 23, 2020. There was a contingency agreement that formed an attorney-client relationship, and Harris filed the claim December 15, 2021, against Dr. John H. Mani in Kanawha Circuit Court.
In that case, the plaintiff said Mani prescribed Macrobid to Good. She was allergic, and it said Kroger negligently filled and dispensed the prescription, which allegedly caused her death.
“Plaintiff expressly instructed defendants to name Kroger as a party defendant and seek legal claims against it,” the complaint states. “Defendants expressly agreed it would seek claims against Kroger, and Kroger was previously made aware of claims against it by written notification prior to the filing of the underlying case.”
But Harris failed to name Kroger as a defendant at the time of the filing of that case. He assured Good the company would be brought into the case later, according to the complaint.
On September 23, 2023, a mediation took place. The claims against Mani were resolved by confidential settlement.
“At the time of the mediation, it was again expressly agreed to by defendants that it would join Kroger as a party defendant to the case,” the complaint states. “The mediated settlement agreement expressly noted this agreement, and plaintiff relied upon the representations of defendants in deciding to resolve the claims against defendant Mani.”
A final order in that case was entered October 30, 2023, dismissing the claims against Mani and approving the settlement.
“In turn, defendants were paid significant legal fees relating to the confidential settlement with defendant Mani, under the express understanding that claims against Kroger would be fully pursued and prosecuted,” the complaint states.
On December 11, 2023, Harris filed a motion for leave to amend the complaint to add Kroger as a new party defendant. The same day, the court entered an order for the parties to submit briefs on the motion.
Harris failed to submit the briefs, according to Good, “and otherwise did nothing to pursue and prosecute the claims against Kroger as they agreed.” On December 10, 2024, the court denied the motion to add Kroger.
“Thereby extinguishing the ability of plaintiff and the estate to seek claims against Kroger,” the complaint states. “Both prior to and after the denial by the court, plaintiff attempted to reach defendants to inquire about the status of the case.
“However, defendants failed to keep plaintiff informed of case developments and did not (a) timely appeal, (b) advise the plaintiff of his rights to file an appeal, (c) file a notice of appeal, or (d) otherwise challenge the court's adverse ruling.”
Good also says Harris failed to timely him that Harris’ law license had been suspended, “leaving the estate without competent legal representation.”
Good says he has been permanently denied legal resource against Kroger because the statute of limitations has expired, and he says he has suffered substantial and irreparable harm while Harris “collected legal fees improperly by making inaccurate and misleading statements to plaintiff to induce the settlement of the claims against defendant Mani.”
Good accuses Harris of legal malpractice, negligence, breach of contract, unjust enrichment and negligent misrepresentation. He seeks actual and consequential damages, compensatory damages, punitive damages, pre- and post-judment interests, court costs, attorney fees and other relief.
Harris filed a motion to dismiss this week.
Good is being represented by Ware and David A. Dobson of Goodwin & Goodwin in Charleston. Harris is representing himself.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number 25-C-1405
