Accounting Malpractice Lawyers in Sandusky

Protecting Your Finances from Fraud & Negligence

When the accountant you put in charge of your finances to avoid serious financial pitfalls acts fraudulently or negligently themselves, you are a victim of accounting malpractice. However, you do not need to stay stuck feeling like a victim of their wrongdoing, whether it was intentional or inadvertent. With Murray & Murray in Sandusky, Ohio, you can file an accounting malpractice claim to seek justice and fair compensation.

We are a team of attorneys with one goal in our minds: do what is best for our clients. With our extensive background handling complex commercial litigation cases, we are confident we can pursue the best possible outcome for your accounting malpractice claim.

A successful accounting malpractice claim can:

• Restore any finances you or your company lost due to the malpractice.
• Seek additional damages related to malpractice, such as noneconomic damages for the harm caused to your company’s reputation.
• End your contract with your accountant early without penalty.

Don’t start such a complicated claim on your own. Call (419) 664-3711 today for experienced legal assistance and representation.

Basis for Accounting Malpractice Claims

As with any malpractice claim, an accounting malpractice claim requires that you prove your accountant acted with negligence or intentional wrongdoing that caused you to suffer economic damages. Namely, your economic damages will be the loss of your finances due to the malpractice, such as money stolen by your accountant or lost to third parties due to your accountant’s poor management. Being able to point at the neglect or wrongdoing is a difficult question, though.

Generally, an accountant needs to have violated an acceptable industry standard outlined by either the:

• GAAS: The Generally Accepted Auditing Standards outlines how accountants should audit their client’s financial accounts with transparency, honesty, and carefulness.
• GAAP: The Generally Accepted Accounting Principles outlines how accounts should manage financial accounts and prepare financial statements on behalf of their clients.

Essentially, the GAAS and GAAP lay the foundation for what is considered acceptable methods, behaviors, and procedures in the accounting industry. It also more or less describes an accountant’s fiduciary duty to their clients, which is a duty owed by one party to another based on good faith and intentions, not necessarily what is explicitly written in a contract. That is to say, when you hire an accountant, they owe it to you to provide honest accounting work that is completed to the best of their abilities.

Accountant Breach of Contracts & Misrepresentation

If you have lost finances due to your account’s negligence or wrongdoing, then there has been a breach of contract or a misrepresentation of their abilities. When one party in a contract intentionally does not fulfill its obligations as outlined in that contract, it is considered a contract breach, which can be met with legal action to correct the issue. A breach of contract can also occur when a fiduciary duty is neglected in a way or extent that another accountant in the same situation would have reasonably tried to avoid.

Misrepresentation can also be met with legal recourse, but it can be more difficult to prove. Your accountant could have intentionally misrepresented themselves by overstating their abilities or even falsifying their accounting certifications. Or they may commit criminal misrepresentation by trying to embezzle funds.

We are Ready for Anything – Call (419) 664-3711

Murray & Murray is a law firm built on the principle that all clients deserve the best possible representation for any case they bring to our doors. Part of this dedication to excellence means we are fully capable of taking your case to the courtroom if negotiations elsewhere fail to deliver a positive result. If your accountant or the company employing them will not offer a fair settlement, then they will have to answer to our skilled and experienced trial attorneys in litigation, where we will not back down once the legal battle begins.

Fill out an online contact form to let our Sandusky accounting malpractice lawyers know how we can help you or your business.