Federal Judge blasts Harleysville Insurance
January 5,
2015
Press
Release
Federal
Judge blasts
Harleysville
Insurance
for its
conduct and
manner in
which it
treated its
insured,
Kathleen
Ruggiero.
At the close
of a bench
trial on
12/22/2014,
Federal
District
Judge Alvin
Thompson
blasted
Harleysville
Insurance
when it
denied
coverage
after a fire
loss. The
Court stated
that it was
“outrageous”
and
Harleysville’s
conduct
“comes close
to using
threat of
criminal
prosecution
as leverage
in civil
litigation.
And it’s
very
disturbing
to me. If I
were
Harleysville,
I’d look to
resolve this
without
getting the
opinion I’m
going to
issue.”
Ms. Ruggiero
is gratified
to finally
be
vindicated,
said her
attorney,
Sally
Roberts of
New Britain.
According to
Attorney
Roberts –
“Harleysville
did not have
clean hands
in this
matter -= it
was truly
egregious
and sinister
– the way
they handled
this claim.
Judge
Thompson
really
understood
the case,
and
questioned
each witness
intently. On
the final
day of the
bench trial
when
Harleysville
presented
its claims
adjuster and
special
investigator,
they were
evasive
under
relentless
questioning
by the
judge.
Finally, in
exasperation,
when the
court could
not get
straight
answers from
the witness,
the court
addressed
defense
counsel with
harsh
remarks.
A copy of
the
transcript
is attached.
This has
truly been a
David and
Goliath
struggle –
with a solo
practitioner
pitted
against the
resources of
Halloran &
Sage, a
large
defense firm
which
specializes
in insurance
defense and
coverage
issues.
Sally A.
Roberts
Law Office
of Sally A.
Roberts, LLC
11 Franklin
Square
New Britain,
CT 06051
Tel:
860.384.6701
/Fax:
860.920.5233
Cell:
860.328.0767
sallyroberts@SallyRobertsLegal.com
www.SallyRobertsLegal.com