$20 Million Verdict Against Allstate Insurance

A jury awarded $20 million to Ted K. Fields in a bad faith lawsuit against Allstate Insurance Company.

(PRWEB) October 12, 2006 -- An Indiana man won a record $20 Million against Allstate Insurance Company for bad faith in a case decided by a jury today. The verdict for Ted K. Fields, 50, is the largest bad faith verdict ever rendered against an auto insurer in Indiana.

The case, Ted K. Fields v Allstate Ins. Co - No. 45D01-0608-CT-00145, has been heard for the past two weeks by Lake Superior Court Judge Diane Kavadias-Schneider in Hammond, Indiana. Mr. Fields was represented by Kenneth J. Allen & Associates.

After the case was turned over to Allstate, it responded with long delays and baseless denials. They forced Ted to litigate against them for years guessing that he or his lawyers would give up, but they guessed wrong

“When Ted was hurt by an uninsured motorist, he believed he was 'in good hands.' He had uninsured motorists insurance with Allstate and had been a policyholder for years, although he’d never had a claim before. He soon discovered that Allstate’s 'good hands' were in reality boxing gloves. Allstate forced a court battle that has lasted for over a decade. Fortunately, the jury has now held Allstate to account for its bad faith treatment of Ted, and sent a strong message,” said Kenneth J. Allen, lead attorney for Mr. Fields.

“All I ever wanted was to get my car fixed and my bills paid,” Mr. Fields said. “But Allstate turned my claim into World War III.” Mr. Fields and his doctors testified that the stress caused by Allstate’s bad behavior contributed to cause an increase in his blood pressure. His hypertension became uncontrolled and he suffered heart problems and ultimately a stroke.

“General practice physician Arjun Gupta, M.D. and psychiatrist Robert Reff, M.D. testified that this cascade of ill-health followed from Ted’s hypertension, and that the stress caused by Allstate was one factor that brought about Ted’s health problems,” according to Allen.

The case began when Mr. Fields was hurt in a 1995 car crash. After the insurer for Jimmie Woodley, 57, of Gary, Indiana, the driver who caused the accident, became insolvent in 1996, Allstate became responsible for the damages under the uninsured motorist coverage it sold Mr. Fields. "After the case was turned over to Allstate, it responded with long delays and baseless denials. They forced Ted to litigate against them for years guessing that he or his lawyers would give up, but they guessed wrong," according to injury attorney Allen.

Lead counsel for Allstate was Ronald Getchey of Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps, a San Diego law firm.

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allstate insurance indiana attorneys bad faith cases uninsured motorist jury verdict 20 million dollars

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