BakerHostetler partner Jason D’Cruz is reportedly confronting another lawsuit concerning his defense of a South Carolina grocery chain in a prominent wrongful death case. As per the details, two lawsuits have been lodged in South Carolina against D’Cruz and his firm. They have been representing a convenience store chain in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the bereaved family of a victim involved in a fatal boat accident in 2019.
Allegedly connected to the incident is Inquiry Agency LLC which had claimed to be hired by BakerHostetler to delve into information about the Murdaughs, a South Carolina family which entered the national limelight when a member, Alex Murdaugh, stood accused of murdering his wife and son. The information gathered, as mentioned by the Inquiry, was utilized as part of a public relations campaign aimed at divesting responsibility for the fatal boating accident. In the said accident, Murdaugh’s son, Paul, has been declared the culpable party, suspected of operating the boat under the influence of alcohol.
The Inquiry is lodging a lawsuit against D’Cruz and BakerHostetler for an alleged breach of contract in a South Carolina state court. It alleges that the law firm refused to cover resulting legal costs, amounting to thousands of dollars, it incurred after their investigative filings were subpoenaed by the lawyer representing the deceased victim’s family.
According to the lawsuit lodged by Inquiry, it was instructed by BakerHostetler to deny compliance to the subpoena, despite the firm sharing these materials with third parties, including those behind a documentary on the Murdaugh Murders, thereby violating an agreement.
When asked to comment about the ongoing lawsuit, the legal representative of Inquiry Agency, Riley Adams, DECLINED to comment. However, the lawsuit indicated that the sought amount is purportedly less than $75,000. Additionally, it remains unclear whether the victim’s family lawyer is continuing to dispute the subpoena with Inquiry.
Direct comments from BakerHostetler, D’Cruz or Mark Tinsley, who represents the victim’s family, have not been received upon request.
The wrongful death lawsuit against the grocery store chain represented by D’Cruz resulted in the chain agreeing to a $15 million settlement in the previous year to the family of the victim, Mallory Beach. Currently, the family is pursuing a separate civil conspiracy lawsuit against BakerHostetler, D’Cruz, the convenience store chain, its founder Gregory Parker, and others. The defendants have been accused of misappropriating private property from the family, including the circulation of photographs of the deceased victim, Mallory Beach, to the media. This was done, according to the claim, as part of an effort to dissuade the family from pursuing their legal claims.
In reply to the accusations, D’Cruz’s lawyers previously argued that the family has not availed any evidence showing that anyone conspired to cause them harm.
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