Central Pa. lawyer who fumbled client’s own injuries scenario and lied about it has license suspended by Supreme Courtroom

A Dauphin County law firm who bungled a client’s own injuries situation, lied about it, and then utilised his have money to give her a bogus “settlement” experienced his legislation license suspended by the state Supreme Court docket on Tuesday.

That two-calendar year consensual suspension of Peter Richard Henninger Jr.’s license is centered on results of the superior court’s Office environment of Disciplinary Counsel regarding Henninger’s handling of the circumstance of shopper who was hurt in an elevator at the Hollywood Casino.

According to disciplinary business filings, the customer was damage in December 2014 when an elevator door shut on her leg. Henninger submitted a detect to sue on the woman’s behalf in Dauphin County Court docket two many years later on.

Then, the disciplinary board contends, Henninger did not abide by by means of.

He by no means responded to requests by Schindler Elevator Corp. for his client’s health-related data, nor did he reply to the firm’s request for a settlement demand from customers, the board claims. It promises Henninger didn’t respond to any filings the defendants created in the scenario for 3 several years.

Finally, at the ask for of the defendants, a judge dismissed the circumstance in February due that deficiency of exercise.

Henninger didn’t explain to his consumer about that, the board claims. It statements he didn’t even return any of her phone phone calls till she filed a criticism with the Office environment of Disciplinary Counsel. Henninger advised investigators the woman’s scenario experienced gotten “lost in the shuffle,” according to the board.

He also claimed, falsely, that he had been included in negotiations to settle the woman’s case, investigators contend. They say Henninger then explained to the consumer that a settlement had been achieved, applied his have money to pay her $25,000, and filed bogus documents of the nonexistent settlement.

Finally, after a probe of his steps, Henninger “acknowledged that he had lied to (the shopper) and the ODC about possessing received a settlement provide from Hollywood Casino when, in reality, he experienced not engaged in any settlement discussions,” the board’s complaint states.

Investigators concluded Henninger experienced violated the Rules of Occupation Conduct for attorneys by failing to offer the customer with competent illustration, by failing to update her on the status of the situation or respond to her requests for details, and by partaking in “conduct involving dishonesty, fraud deceit or misrepresentation.”