Shortly after being hired by the Jacksonville, Florida law firm of FARAH, FARAH & ABBOTT, P.A. (a/k/a "The Law Offices of Eddie Farah") in attorney Jeffrey R. Hill learned the firm was regularly charging and collecting clearly excessive costs from its personal injury clients without their knowledge. Mr. Hill discovered the firm was routinely 'padding' costs charged to clients and had been engaging in this practice for the preceding several years.
The law firm's overcharges were frequently $300 or more per case and greatly exceeded the actual costs tracked and recorded by its accounting department. The firm misrepresented the overcharges to clients as having actually been incurred and required them to sign written settlement statements certifying that they agreed with the inflated costs before any portion of their settlement proceeds would be paid to them. Farah, farah & abbott, p.A.'s contingency fee contracts, accounting records and settlement statements clearly document its overcharging practices.
Mr. Hill resigned from FARAH, FARAH & ABBOTT, P.A.in 10/04 because his discovery of its illicit overcharging practices presented him with irreconcilable conflicts of interest as an attorney representing its clients. An appeal is currently pending before Florida's First District Court of Appeal ("DCA") relating to Mr. Hill's entitlement to unemployment compensation benefits given the basis for his resignation. Appellate Briefs have been filed by all concerned parties and Mr. Hill has requested oral argument.
Hundreds of unsuspecting clients were overcharged by FARAH, FARAH & ABBOTT, P.A.in the above manner and the combined overcharges are estimated to be several hundred thousand dollars. If you believe you may be among those who were overcharged, you are urged to immediately contact The Florida Bar at 850-561-5600.
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