HOUSTON – Hundreds of claimants challenging a summary judgment win in favor of lawyers and law firms accused of barratry struck out on appeal today.
The First Court of Appeals issued opinions on two different cases with similar allegations.
The first case, Dezzie Brumfield et al vs. Robert Williamson et al, involves 272 plaintiffs, who appealed challenging a summary judgment win in favor of the following defendants: the Estate of Jimmy Glenn Williamson, Williamson & Rusnak, Cyndi Rusnak and the Law Office of Michael A. Pohl.
The plaintiffs allege that after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Williamson “concocted an illicit barratry scheme . . . by unlawfully soliciting thousands of potential clients to bring claims against” BP.
The second case involves 135 plaintiffs and contains similar allegations against the aforementioned defendants.
Court records show the defendants successfully moved for summary judgment, arguing that the claims were barred by the statute of limitations.
Justices found that the trial courts did not err in granting the defendants summary judgment, as the claims are time barred.