Members of the group have successfully resolved hundreds of insurance cases, including homeowners’ and business’ claims arising out of Hurricane Katrina, totaling in excess of one hundred million dollars. We have recovered verdicts for actual damages and also for extra-contractual damages, including emotional distress and attorneys’ fees, due to negligent claims handling by the carrier. Some of the specific cases our group has litigated are listed below.
Don Barrett and his firm were lead class counsel and lead trial attorneys for the plaintiffs in a national class action against State Farm Insurance Company in Illinois, concerning State Farm’s use of imitation crash parts in auto repair. After a seven-week trial, the jury awarded a verdict of $456 million and an additional $600 million in punitive damages was awarded by the trial judge. This was the largest verdict ever rendered in the State of Illinois and the largest against any insurance company in the United States. As a result of the litigation, Don Barrett was named the first-ever “Litigator of the Month” by the National Law Journal in its issue of November 22, 1989.
Don Barrett was co-lead counsel for the plaintiff class in Holmes v. Trustmark National Bank, et al, U.S.D.C., So. Dist. Mississippi, No 1:95cv323BrR, a forced-placed insurance class action which resulted in an $8.8 million settlement approved by Judge Bramlette on June 4, 1997. In
approving the settlement, the Court referred to Mr. Barrett’s “substantial experience in mass-tort litigation” and wrote that class counsel “vigorously and zealously represented (the class members’) interests throughout this litigation.”
Don Barrett was lead counsel in the “alternative commission” class action litigation against Progressive Insurance Company, in which a nationwide settlement valued by the court at $493 million was reached in the Circuit Court of Johnson County, Illinois, with final approval being given by the court on November 14, 2002.
Our group favorably settled over 1,600 homeowners’ claims (including those of former U.S. Senator Trent Lott, U.S. Representative Gene Taylor, and U.S. District Court Judge Louis Guirola) for more than $220 million. We are the only attorneys to have tried Hurricane Katrina cases to successful verdict in both state and federal court (Lisanby v. USAA, in June of 2008, resulting in a verdict and payment to Admiral and Mrs. Lisanby of $849,841; and Penthouse v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyds, resulting in a verdict on February 24, 2011, amounting to $1,832,804. On December 21, 2011, the Penthouse Court entered final judgment in the case, adding attorneys’ fees, and costs.