On October 6, 2006, PIA National filed a reply brief with the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, in response to a motion filed by the Attorneys General of ten states opposing PIA’s amicus brief filed on September 15, 2006. In our brief, PIA opposes certain limited aspects of a proposed class settlement involving Zurich Insurers, centering on a flawed and defective mandated disclosure statement that would have to be used by independent insurance agents.

“PIA seeks to remedy a defect in the class settlement documents that not only would affect the legal rights and interests of PIA members, but would mislead class members regarding the legal relationships of agents and brokers to insurance carriers like the Zurich Insurers and to class members themselves,” the PIA reply brief states.

PIA specifically requests a hearing on the Preliminary Approval of the class settlement and asks that the Court reject the arguments in opposition to our position by the Attorneys General, “which lack merit and appear designed to evade PIA’s legitimate concerns.” The PIA reiterates that PIA was unfairly shut out of all negotiations that brought the settlement process to this point. The brief states that it is troubling that the AGs “now seek to silence the agents and brokers most directly and adversely affected by those ‘settlement provisions.’”

Reply Brief of Amicus Curiae (PDF file)
National Association of Professional Insurance Agents
United States District Court, District of New Jersey
Filed: October 6, 2006

Attorneys Generals’ Memorandum of Law in Opposition to PIA’s Amicus (PDF file)
United States District Court, District of New Jersey

Brief of Amicus Curiae (PDF file)
Unites States District Court, District of New Jersey
National Association of Professional Insurance Agents

AGs File Against Agents’ Amicus Opposing Zurich Settlements (Insurance Journal 9/29/06)

Agent Group Opposes Zurich Class Action Settlement (Business Insurance 9/19/06)

October 11, 2006