An unqualified lawyer has been held professionally negligent and ordered to pay his client £263,759 damages, plus £73,200 costs.
The High Court ruled that George Rusz and his firm Troy Lucas held themselves out as legal advisers to their client Paul Wright and therefore must be judged by the standard of a competent legal adviser. Wright suffered serious injuries from a negligent operation that left three plastic bags inside his body. Rusz ran his clinical negligence case, valuing the claim first at £1.1m then just under £3m, but without any supporting evidence.
Wright won his basic claim but was left with £73,200 costs against him.
Emma Jones, partner at Leigh Day, who acted for Wright in the professional negligence claim, said: ‘This is the first case on this issue since the ruling in Freeman v Marshall & Co [1966].’ She warned there has been ‘an increase in unregulated individuals who advertise their services’.
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