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Maria Villarreal, an employee of Handy Andy, was severely injured at Lackland Air Force Base in 1977. She subsequently engaged attorneys George Cooper and Tracy & Cook, P.C. to handle her worker's compensation and third-party claims. While the worker's compensation claim was resolved, the third-party actions were not pursued, and the statute of limitations expired after Villarreal discharged the attorneys and hired a new one, Jesse Gamez. Villarreal then sued Cooper and Tracy & Cook for legal malpractice, but the trial court granted summary judgment to the appellees. The appellate court reversed and remanded the case, citing material issues of fact regarding proximate cause, particularly whether the 77 days remaining before the statute of limitations expired constituted sufficient time for a new attorney to act, and considering the appellees' prior 16 months of inaction.
Villarreal v. Cooper is a workers' compensation case decided in Texas Court of Appeals, 4th District (San Antonio). This case addresses legal issues related to compensation claims, benefits, and court rulings.
It is commonly referenced in legal research involving workers' compensation laws in Texas Court of Appeals, 4th District (San Antonio).
Full Decision Text1 Pages
Maria Villarreal, an employee of Handy Andy, was severely injured at Lackland Air Force Base in 1977. She subsequently engaged attorneys George Cooper and Tracy & Cook, P.C. to handle her worker's compensation and third-party claims. While the worker's compensation claim was resolved, the third-party actions were not pursued, and the statute of limitations expired after Villarreal discharged the attorneys and hired a new one, Jesse Gamez. Villarreal then sued Cooper and Tracy & Cook for legal malpractice, but the trial court granted summary judgment to the appellees. The appellate court reversed and remanded the case, citing material issues of fact regarding proximate cause, particularly whether the 77 days remaining before the statute of limitations expired constituted sufficient time for a new attorney to act, and considering the appellees' prior 16 months of inaction.
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