Legal malpractice lawsuits in Florida and around the country are often initiated by individuals who lost lawsuits they felt they should have won. Rapper and film star Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson filed such a lawsuit after a jury ordered him to pay $7 million to the girlfriend of his hip-hop rival Rick Ross. The woman alleged that Jackson caused her injury, loss or damage by leaking a sex tape on the internet. The verdict prompted Jackson to file for bankruptcy.
Jackson denies releasing the tape, and he claims that his attorneys acted negligently by not obtaining records from an internet service provider that he says could have revealed the true source of the leak. He also believes that his lawyers acted negligently by not deposing Ross to get to the bottom of the story. Jackson’s attorneys deny the allegations and maintain that they acted properly and provided him with a vigorous defense.
Jackson believes that Ross can provide crucial evidence in his malpractice lawsuit, but his rap rival seems reluctant to get involved. Ross is said to have ignored five subpoenas from Jackson requesting documents and his presence at a deposition, and an attempt to serve the rapper with papers at a Pennsylvania concert was allegedly thwarted by security guards. This setback prompted Jackson to turn to the courts. He is said to have filed a motion that would compel Ross to cooperate.
Litigants who lose in court might put some or all of the blame on their lawyers. Attorneys with experience in legal malpractice law may assess trial transcripts to identify legal or strategic mistakes and determine whether or not they would have been made by a competent lawyer. If errors that meet the standards of legal malpractice are discovered, attorneys might suggest pursuing a lawsuit.