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The Case Within A Case
In many legal malpractice actions, there may be discussion of whether the plaintiff could win the "case within a case". This discussion occurs in malpractice cases involving prior litigation, where a plaintiff claims to have either lost or to have recovered a smaller amount of damages than warranted by the facts and law, as a result of the original lawyer's malpractice.
In order for the plaintiff to establish that damages were suffered as a result of the alleged malpractice, depending upon state law, it is often necessary for the plaintiff to prove that, but for the malpractice, a favorable verdict would have been won or greater damages recovered. In essence, this is a retrial of the original litigation within the context of the malpractice action - a case within a case.
Attorney-Client Privilege
It is important to note that within the context of a legal malpractice action, a lawyer may utilize what were formerly privileged communications from the client in order to respond to allegations of negligence.
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