Fraud

About the Book

This is the story of the journey taken by David Stanley, insurance corporation lawyer. Initially engaged largely in paperwork, and suffering from diffident feelings about his legal abilities, with a modest opinion of himself, he becomes an aggressive, investigative, and hard-charging courtroom attorney over a two-year period as he leads the defense in a twenty-five-million-dollar lawsuit. The journey begins with an 18-wheeler crushing a small sports car on a Houston freeway, turning its driver into a medical disaster. During the investigation, trial preparations and finally the trial, he encounters fraud, greed, intimidation, and possibly murder as those ironically involved in the accident, and the resulting bizarre lawsuit, pursue their own agendas. Among the characters involved is Laura McWilliams, sister of the victim and his only living relative — a very rich lesbian with a long hatred of her brother. She sets aside her personal feelings as she fights to use the family position to save her brother's life and to provide his medical care. Famous Houston personal injury lawyer, Bill Hertz, advertises himself as the king of torts. He's a very recent born-again Christian, dying of cancer and stoking the favor of God with large contributions from his legal fees. He signs with Laura McWilliams to pursue the recovery of damages for her brother, with plans to make one final huge donation to the church. Bull Kingsley is the tough and chauvinistic company accident investigator with personal troubles at home and at the company. Beau Johnson, David Stanley's boss, is part of the family that owns the controlling interest of the company. The pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of work best describe Beau's attitude, but the possible lawsuit threatens his company and his financial ability to sustain his life style. Sara Malloy, hired by Beau Johnson as lead courtroom counsel, is young, reckless and unethical, and a fierce feminist. Dr. Ruth Jackson, black neurologist and avowed socialist, is in charge of the care of Frank McWilliams. A hard-bitten physician and a bitter enemy of Bill Hertz from past litigation, provides much of the discovery help to David Stanley after they become friends. Jerry "Shorty" Simpson, the only witness to declare that he saw the entire sequence of events leading to the accident, is the plaintiff's star witness, and is a complete opportunist who will tell any story for financial gain. Eddie Welch, driver of the truck, and Glenn Stern, owner of Crown Trucking line, both tell suspicious stories about what really happened. David begins the investigation and the legal preliminaries as we learn of the background, ethics, and morals of the principal characters. During the legal preliminaries, David, mistrusting the ethics of Sara and Bull, begins investigating on his own and uncovers reckless conduct on the part of both Frank McWilliams, and their insured, Crown Trucking Line. David develops two credible witnesses, and the case looks like a lock for David's legal team. When one witness dies, probably murdered, and the other has fled the state after threats on her life, the defense falls apart. The team finally realizes that there is a mole in the company passing information to plaintiff's counsel, Bill Hertz, who was probably the one to effect the departure of the witnesses. The mole, a woman in Beau Johnson's office, is identified. Ostensibly she wants to destroy the company because of her betrayal by the Johnson family, but there may be other circumstances. As negotiations for settlement swing back and forth, Hertz's case becomes extremely strong as the defense is now without credible witnesses. Sara and Bull tell David that they have to match the underhanded techniques of Bill Hertz. David wavers but sticks to his principles, and they begin redeveloping the case. David discovers a new witness that can corroborate the favorable testimony they previously had, Nancy Snyder, but s

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