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Case ID: 4470 | Insurance | 10/10/2005
Toni Swain Orrill, a New Orleans resident whose house was severely damaged in Hurricane Katrina, filed a class action suit against American International Group (AIG) and its subsidiary, Audubon. The suit charges that the company has failed to help its policyholders who are in desperate need of assistance after the hurricane.
AIG and Audubon were the underwriters and service providers of Louisiana Citizens Fair Plan (FAIR), which provides homeowners' policies of last resort to those who cannot get insurance elsewhere, including many poor people in New Orleans and the surrounding area. The class action suit is on behalf of Louisiana's FAIR plan policyholders -- about 400,000 people. The suit alleges that AIG has completely failed to provide any way for its policyholders whose homes have been damaged to initiate a claim or even reach its offices to find out how to do that, or to provide temporary disaster relief provided under their policies. Orrill's husband, Ray, an attorney, said, "My wife has called and emailed the insurance company over 60 times, and could never get through. It is outrageous that she, and so many others whose homes were severely damaged in the storm, cannot even get through to their insurers, much less get relief from them. Someone had to take a stand." Ray Orrill said that another insurer, Allstate, provided his wife with a FAIR claim form as a courtesy, after failing to get any response from AIG. She submitted it to AIG almost thirty days ago and has not received a response. Americans for Insurance Reform (AIR) learned of Toni Swain Orrill's situation when she called the hotline it set up to assist Katrina victims when they encountered obstacles to receiving assistance from their insurers. According to AIR co- founder and spokesperson Joanne Doroshow, "This is the worst case that we have seen of a complete failure of an insurance company to respond to the immediate and dire situation of its Katrina policyholders. Many FAIR policyholders were struggling economically before the storm hit, and some are now reaching the point of severe impoverishment due to AIG's failure to help them. Many have still not received the temporary living expenses they are entitled to under their policies." Over a month after Katrina, AIR's hotline is still receiving calls from people who cannot reach AIG insurance adjusters. One woman whose home was devastated reports she's been completely unable to reach any AIG representative to request temporary funds or a visit from an adjuster. Another caller said she's been passed around from number to number and AIG has been largely unresponsive to her. At Lawcash.com, it is our goal to keep you informed about important legal cases, class actions and settlements. Our lawyers offer free legal evaluations in tort cases, class actions, personal injury, and other lawsuits because we are dedicated to helping you resolve your legal complaints. Other Insurance Cases of Interest A class action has been filed against Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (Met Life) Inc., a New York based provider of insurance and other financial services (NYSE: MET) and certain of its officers and directors by stockholders who purchased the company’s common stock between April 5, 2000 and October 19, 2004. The action claims that the defendants violated federal securities laws by issuing a series of material misrepresentations to the market over this time period, thereby artificially inflating the price of the company’s securities. The stockholders seek to recover compensatory damages for the loss of value of their stock. The parties have reached a tentative $16+ million settlement in a class action filed against New York Life insurance Company on behalf of current and former agents who contracted with New York Life before January 1, 1991. The action alleges that New York Life violated the Employment Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 by paying its “Non-Qualified Benefit” only a select group of established agents known as "Senior Nylics." Persons eligible to take part in the settlement should contact attorneys for the class as soon as possible. A class action has been filed against AmerUs Group Company and affiliated companies and individuals, on behalf of Pennsylvanians 65 years of age and over, who purchased living trusts or living trust kits and/or deferred variable/fixed annuities that were worthless to them from the companies, in violation of Pennsylvanians unfair trade practices laws. The use of substandard non-original equipment manufacturer parts in auto repairs as required by auto insurance companies is a topic of growing controversy. The class has been certified in a class action filed against Government Employees Insurance Company on behalf of Illinois auto insurance policyholders who allege that the company forces them to use lower-quality parts to fix their vehicles in violation of their policies. The theory of diminished value asserts that buyers choosing between two otherwise equal vehicles will select one that has not been previously damaged and repaired, even where the repairs to the other vehicle were first-rate. The parties have reached a tentative $1.725 million settlement in an action filed against Southern General Insurance Company on behalf all persons insured under an automobile insurance policy issued in Georgia by the company who made a claim for damage to their vehicle under their collision or comprehensive coverage for a loss that occurred between June 12, 1997, and February 13, 2002, or under their uninsured motorist coverage for a loss that occurred between June 12, 1999, and February 13, 2002. Though there is no claims deadline at this time, persons eligible to take part in the settlement who have not received a notification letter should act as soon as possible to alert the company of their eligibility.
A nationwide class action has been filed against insurance companies Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc., Aon Corporation and its affiliates, and the Willis Group, on behalf of all persons who directly or indirectly engaged the defendants’ insurance brokerage services between August 26, 1994, and the present. The action alleges that the companies have conspired to fraudulently conceal that they have entered into placement service agreements with third-party insurance companies which pay them additional fees based on such factors as profitability, growth, and the volume of insurance the defendants place with the participating insurers, in violation of the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. |
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