Representative Cases

Rhein Law LLC has recovered millions of dollars for individuals and small businesses throughout Georgia who had been harmed by the negligence, incompetence, and dishonesty of other lawyers. Here are some of Rhein’s results in legal malpractice and personal injury cases:

Rhein Beats Attorney’s Lien and Wins $580,000 for Atlanta Slip-and-Fall Client

Rhein represented a woman who had been injured in a trip and fall at a local business. The client’s first lawyer had entered into an agreement with the insurer to settle the case for $100,000 without the client’s permission, and then filed a lien for $50,000 to pressure the client not to seek new counsel. Rhein entered the case as the second lawyer and defeated the business’s motion to enforce the lawyer’s settlement. Rhein then persuaded the court to strike the fraudulent lien. After numerous depositions, overcoming a motion for summary judgment, and walking away from mediation, Rhein negotiated a final recovery of $480,000 in the client’s trip-and-fall case (more than four times what had been obtained before). Rhein then brought a claim against the first lawyer and recovered an additional $100,000 for legal malpractice.

Rhein Overturns Murder Conviction in Georgia Supreme Court

Rhein represented a man who had been unfairly convicted of murdering a security guard in Fulton County during a drive-by shooting with an AK-47 assault rifle. Rhein entered the case as the third lawyer on appeal and successfully argued “plain error” in failing to charge the jury on the requirement of accomplice corroboration. Neither of the client’s two previous lawyers had raised the issue. The Georgia Supreme Court ultimately agreed with Rhein’s argument and reversed the client’s conviction for murder. Watch the video of Rhein’s oral argument, below.

Rhein Wins $500,000 for Legal Malpractice Victim in South Georgia

Rhein represented a woman who suffered a closed head injury in a collision with a government vehicle. Her former lawyer had failed to serve a proper “ante litem” notice before filing a lawsuit against the government, resulting in no recovery for the injured client. Rhein brought a claim for legal malpractice and won $500,000 from the negligent law firm.

$1.1 Million Default Judgment for Legal Malpractice

Rhein represented a man whose slip-and-fall injury case was dismissed as a result of a former lawyer’s carelessness and dishonesty. The defendant lawyer initially answered the complaint for legal malpractice and counterclaimed for allegedly unpaid attorney’s fees. But when Rhein scheduled the lawyer’s deposition, she failed to appear and abandoned her defense of the case. Rhein brought a motion for sanctions and asked the court to strike the lawyer’s answer and enter default judgment. After multiple hearings, Rhein obtained a judgment in excess of $1 million, including $100,000 in punitive damages.

Policy Limits Legal Malpractice Settlement for Family of Wrongful Death Victim

Rhein and co-counsel represented family of woman who had died due to neglect at a nursing home. The family’s first lawyer had sued the wrong entity and failed to correct the error in time, resulting in dismissal of their wrongful death case. Rhein brought a claim against the lawyer’s professional liability insurance, resulting in a policy-limits settlement for the client.

$400,000 Wrongful Death Recovery

Rhein represented the family of woman who was killed in a motor vehicle collision where she was suspected to be at fault. The family’s first lawyer initiated a sloppy and incorrect lawsuit on behalf of the woman’s unrepresented estate and then filed a lien to try to force the family into an inadequate and unfair settlement. Rhein intervened in the case and defeated a motion to enforce the settlement. He then reopened discovery, corrected the errors of the first law firm, negotiated a huge reduction of the lien, and ultimately recovered $400,000 for the grieving family.

$375,000 Divorce Malpractice Settlement

Rhein represented a client whose divorce lawyers had mishandled negotiations in a contested divorce. Rhein brought a claim for legal malpractice against the divorce law firm and recovered $375,000 for the client.

$250,000 for Mishandled Worker’s Compensation Case

Rhein represented an Atlanta teacher who had been terminated from her employment as part of a botched worker’s compensation settlement. Rhein’s investigation uncovered fraudulent notarization of documents by an employee of the worker’s compensation law firm. Rhein brought a claim for legal malpractice and recovered $250,000 for the client.

$200,000+ for Estate Harmed by Unauthorized Settlement

Rhein represented an estate that was the victim of an unauthorized settlement in a slip and fall case. The inured person had died from unrelated causes while the slip and fall lawsuit was still pending. However, the personal injury law firm did not disclose the death but instead falsified documents to settle the injury case. Rhein helped the family set up an estate for the decedent, and then sued the personal injury law firm for legal malpractice. The case settled at mediation, with the injury law firm waiving its entire claim for fees and paying the full amount of the personal injury settlement to the estate plus approximately $200,000 from its insurance policy. 

$208,000 for Atlanta Auto Accident Victim

Rhein represented an Atlanta-area homeless man who suffered a neck injury when a vehicle in which he was a passenger ran a red light. Rhein helped the client obtain insurance through the Affordable Care Act, and then found a reputable doctor who could evaluate the client’s neck injury without substantial liens or medical bills. The doctor recommended surgery but the client declined due to personal circumstances. Despite the lack of surgery, Rhein secured a settlement of $208,000 for the client.

$175,000 for Family Injured by Legal Malpractice in HOA Dispute

Rhein represented a couple who had hired a lawyer to represent them in a dispute with their homeowners association. Due to the lawyer’s professional negligence, the case against the HOA had been dismissed by the judge as a sanction. Rhein brought a claim against the firm that had mishandled the case, and recovered $175,000 for the couple at mediation.

$130,000 for Victim of Unauthorized Settlement

Rhein represented a woman whose former lawyer had settled her personal injury lawsuit without permission. Rhein determined that the lawyer’s settlement was unfortunately binding on the client even though it was unauthorized. Rhein therefore helped the client to finalize the injury settlement and resolve the medical bills, and then brought a claim against the lawyer, recovering more than $130,000.

$130,000 for Rear-ended Driver

Rhein represented a man who was rear-ended in a motor vehicle collision that aggravated a pre-existing back injury. The case settled for $130,000.

$120,000 Consent Judgment for Legal Malpractice / Medical Malpractice Victim

Rhein represented a woman whose medical malpractice claim had been lost due to attorney negligence. Rhein filed a lawsuit against the attorney for legal malpractice and won a consent judgment of $120,000.

$115,000 for Legal Malpractice Victim

Rhein represented a woman whose lawyer failed to properly respond to a motion for summary judgment in federal court. Other lawyers declined the legal malpractice case because the underlying matter was too speculative. After a thorough case review, Rhein crafted a successful argument showing that the client would have prevailed in the underlying case but for the lawyer’s negligence. The case ultimately settled for $115,000.

$75,000 for Wrongful Eviction Victim on Appeal

Rhein represented a man who was illegally ousted from an Atlanta apartment where he was a subtenant. The client’s former lawyer had brought a small claim in magistrate court to recover $15,000 property damage, but the magistrate judge found no liability for the apartment complex. The client then hired Rhein to appeal the magistrate judge’s decision. On “de novo” appeal to superior court, Rhein retained a forensic document examiner and proved that the defendant had falsified documents and committed perjury to avoid liability in the original magistrate trial. After defeating a motion for summary judgment, Rhein secured a settlement of $75,000.

$75,000 from Immigration Lawyer for Late Paperwork

Rhein represented a family that was trying to immigrate to the United States. Their immigration lawyer in Atlanta filed documents improperly, resulting in a missed deadline and a capital loss of $75,000. Rhein brought a claim for legal malpractice and recovered the family’s entire loss.

Rhein Defeats Attorney’s Lien

Rhein represented a woman whose former attorney filed an unfair lien on her personal injury settlement. Rhein and his co-counsel presented evidence that the former attorney had settled the underlying case without authorization. The former attorney ultimately agreed to release the lien and his claim for fees and paid the client additional funds to settle her allegations of legal malpractice.

Rhein Protects Client from Excessive Attorney’s Fees

Rhein represented a family who was being charged excessive fees by a terminated lawyer who claimed to have done tens of thousands of dollars of work on a personal injury case. When the lawyer would not relent, Rhein filed an action for declaratory judgment showing that the lawyer’s fee contract was unenforceable and unethical. The lawyer ultimately abandoned his entire claim for fees in exchange for a mutual walk-away. 

Rhein Overturns Student Loan Default and Wins Summary Judgment

Rhein represented a woman and her disabled immigrant father in challenging a default judgment in a student loan collections case. The clients had borrowed the money almost a decade ago but had stopped paying on the notes due to personal circumstances. The bank had filed a lawsuit and had obtained a default judgment by serving the disabled father, who did not speak English. After a hearing, the court set aside the default and reopened the case. Rhein then secured a summary judgment of dismissal by establishing that the loan documents were not executed under seal, and that the bank’s lawsuit was untimely under a 6-year statute of limitations rather than a 20-year statute for sealed documents.

Rhein Defends Small Business Owner and Wins Counterclaim for Fraud

Rhein represented a small business owner who was being wrongfully sued by a franchisor for breach of contract. Rhein counterclaimed for fraud and civil RICO and aggressively prepared the case for trial. After Rhein conducted multiple depositions, the plaintiff dismissed the breach of contract claim and paid Rhein’s client a substantial settlement for fraud and punitive damages.

Rhein Rescues Injury Case for Rear-ended Driver with Pre-existing Conditions

Rhein represented a woman who had been seriously injured in a high-speed collision that caused relatively little damage to the vehicles. Three prior law firms had withdrawn from the case due to conflicting physical evidence and the client’s preexisting medical conditions. Rhein entered the case as the fourth lawyer and used the client’s extensive medical record to negotiate an acceptable settlement for the client at mediation.

Rhein Defeats Attorney’s Lien and Wins $30,000 on Counterclaim for Legal Malpractice

Rhein represented a woman whose former lawyer had filed a $35,000 lien against her home and had brought an action to foreclose for unpaid fees. Rhein counterclaimed for legal malpractice and declaratory judgment, and issued the lawyer a notice of deposition at her office. The lawyer failed to appear for her deposition and had a paralegal lock Rhein out of the office during normal business hours. Rhein brought a motion for sanctions. The lawyer ultimately withdrew the lien against the client’s home and paid an additional $30,000 in damages.

Rhein Overturns Dismissal of Injury Case in Court of Appeals

Rhein overturned dismissal of a pro se lawsuit by woman who suffered nerve damage during a routine blood draw at her doctor’s office. The trial court had dismissed the lawsuit because the plaintiff pleaded her case as “medical malpractice” but failed to include a required affidavit of a medical expert. On appeal, Rhein argued that the complaint stated a claim for simple negligence and battery rather than medical malpractice, because a phlebotomist is not a medical professional and the plaintiff’s complaint alleged lack of informed consent. The Court of Appeals agreed and reinstated the client’s personal injury case.

Rhein Overturns Default Judgment and Secures Dismissal

Rhein represented a man who had incurred a default judgment without his knowledge, resulting in a suspended driver’s license and thousands of dollars of debt. The client found Rhein two years later. Rhein filed a motion to set aside the judgment for want of jurisdiction due to a hidden procedural error. The trial court agreed and vacated the judgment and dismissed the case, relieving the client of liability and reinstating the client’s suspended driver’s license.

Rhein Protects Condominium Owner from Unreasonable Attorney’s Fees

Rhein defended owner of condominium in lawsuit for unpaid attorney’s fees. Rhein carefully examined the plaintiff’s records and developed a creative argument about why the fees were unreasonable. Plaintiff’s counsel laughed at Rhein all the way up to trial, until Rhein persuaded the trial judge to rule in his client’s favor and won a judgment of “no liability.”

Rhein Recovers Funds for Victim of Wire Fraud

Rhein represented a home buyer who had fallen victim to a wire fraud scheme due to inadequate security procedures by a closing law firm. The defendants knew that their email system had been hacked but failed to notify the client before criminals used the law firm’s email account to send fraudulent wiring instructions. Rhein sued for negligence, resulting in satisfaction of the missing funds plus attorney’s fees for the client.

Rhein Defeats Public Adjuster’s Lien and Protects Client from Harassment

Rhein represented a woman who was being harassed by a public insurance adjuster in relation to a fire loss. The client had terminated the public adjuster for submitting false information to the client’s insurance company. The public adjuster then filed a large lien against the client’s insurance claim and began to harass the client with threats of litigation while preventing the insurance company from releasing funds. Rhein first convinced the insurance company to interplead the disputed balance and release all the undisputed money to the client. Rhein then filed a crossclaim against the public adjuster for fraud. The public adjuster eventually settled by abandoning his unethical lien and allowing all of the insurance money to be disbursed to the client.