Investment Negligence

Negligence is any conduct that falls below the set standard of care that a reasonable, prudent person would have utilized in the same situation. The legal duty that financial professionals owe to investors is a standard duty of care that includes due diligence and operating in good faith.

To be held liable for negligence, it is not necessary for the broker to have intended the consequences of the negligent act. If a reasonable, prudent person would have foreseen the potential for the consequences arising out of such an act and taken reasonable steps to prevent such consequences from occurring, the act can be deemed a negligent one.

Due to the immense trust investors place in financial professionals, they owe their clients a heightened standard of care in maintaining and monitoring their accounts. If this standard of care is violated, investors may suffer significant losses.

Negligence Comes in Many Forms

In an investment misconduct case, your attorney will be required to show that your broker's actions fell below the standard of care. The following are examples of possible negligence:

• Your broker recommended an investment to you that a reasonable, prudent financial advisor would not have recommended given your investment objectives.
• Your broker failed to monitor and maintain your accounts to prevent adverse consequences from taking place and you suffered financial loss as a result.
• Your broker’s firm failed to diligently supervise him with respect to his dealings with you and your portfolio. 

Broker negligence claims are different from other legal cases and almost always require mandatory securities arbitration before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Not every lawyer is equipped to represent you in broker negligence cases, so you need to be cautious in your selection of a law firm.

Enlist an Investment Misconduct Attorney from Meyer Wilson

If you have suffered financial loss due to the negligence of a broker, securities advisor or brokerage firm, skilled and experienced securities litigation attorneys may have the ability to recover your assets. Meyer Wilson investment loss lawyers collectively possess over five decades of experience helping victims of broker fraud, and in our history have helped nearly a thousand clients successfully recover hundreds of millions of dollars. Our aggressive pursuit of claims on behalf of investor fraud victims resulted in over $350 million returned to our clients.

Our tireless work on behalf of our clients extends from coast to coast and border to border. Meyer Wilson has clients nationwide, from San Diego and Tampa to New York and Seattle. If you want the insight of a lawyer with experience taking on the nation's largest investment firms, complete our online form for a free case evaluation.