A former client is taking aim at Hall Booth Smith PC and one of its attorneys, claiming their mishandling of a wrongful death case at a Georgia shooting range left insurer NOVA Casualty Co. on the hook for $10.6 million in damages. The legal malpractice suit was filed Friday in Georgia state court.

NOVA, a subsidiary of the Hanover Insurance Group Inc., argues that Hall Booth and Brunswick-based partner Steven Paul Bristol fumbled critical responsibilities—including failing to notify the insurer of a lawsuit involving its insured entities—resulting in a catastrophic loss.

The Underlying Shooting Case

The case stems from a 2019 tragedy in which John Vito Salvati was accidentally shot by his stepson, Jack Tirado-Frederick, at an indoor shooting range operated by Quickshot Savannah LLC, a company insured by NOVA.

NOVA says it had a duty to defend Quickshot under its liability policy but was effectively sidelined by the firm it trusted. The insurer alleges Hall Booth and Bristol responded to the lawsuit without informing them, cutting NOVA out of key defense strategies and depriving them of the chance to issue timely coverage positions.

Alleged Legal Missteps

NOVA’s complaint reads like a checklist of mismanagement. The insurer accuses Hall Booth and Bristol of:

• Skipping discovery and failing to attend a pre-arbitration hearing.

• Withholding case details until the first day of arbitration.

• Missing deadlines for filing exhibits and witness lists.

• Ignoring strategy discussions, including using an expert witness and Savannah Police interviews that could have supported Quickshot’s defense.

These failures, NOVA argues, amounted to legal malpractice, breach of contract, and breach of fiduciary duty.

$9.9M Judgment and Fallout

The alleged bungling culminated in a $9.9 million judgment against Quickshot—bonded by NOVA—along with another $200,000 in expenses. NOVA says it has now spent more than $10.1 million cleaning up what it calls its former legal team’s errors.

To make matters worse, Quickshot pointed to NOVA’s late coverage letter—sent nearly three months after the suit was filed—as evidence of bad faith. NOVA blames Hall Booth and Bristol for creating that delay by failing to inform them in time.

The Legal Battle Ahead

NOVA is seeking over $10 million in general and punitive damages.

“Defendants’ actions deprived Nova of the opportunity to direct, participate in, or even understand the defense strategy,” the insurer alleged.

Hall Booth and Bristol’s defense counsel, Andy Eaton of Law Firm GC LLC, pushed back Tuesday, saying they plan to “vigorously defend our clients and prevail on the merits.”

Representation

• For Nova: Richard F. Waddington and Albert M. Myers of Chandler Law LLC.

• For Hall Booth and Bristol: Andy Eaton and Thomas Buckler of Law Firm GC LLC.

The case has set the stage for a high-stakes showdown where an insurer’s multimillion-dollar hit collides with a law firm’s professional reputation.