Texarkana, AR: In October, 2006 Hartford reached agreement with plaintiffs who alleged in Miller County circuit court that the insurer improperly reduced payouts on injuries. Lead plaintiff Georgia Hensley sued Hartford and hundreds of other insurers on February 7, 2005, just before the national Class Action Fairness Act took effect. Attorneys John Goodson and Michael Angelovich of Texarkana, TX, asserted that insurers cheated accident victims with a questionable software called Colossus.
They named software provider Computer Sciences Corporation as first defendant alleging that all defendants conspired in using this software to further their means. Hartford discussed a settlement that would split the Colossus class into two classes, one that would relinquish their right to sue and the other that will receive settlement. October 13, 2006 saw Hartford settle for cash payments to class members and stop using Colossus and on November 15, Goodson and Hartford filed a 44 page stipulation of settlement providing legal fees, costs and expenses up to $26 million. (Jan-18-07) [LEGAL NEWSLINE: HARTFORD SETTLEMENT]
