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Thursday, October 16, 2008
Ind. Law - Yet more on: "Indy Law Firm moves beyond its nightmare"
John Ketzenberger of the Indianapolis Star, who first wrote about this case two years ago, writes again today under the heading "Near-Death Experience:"
To think that a simple "yes" to a million-dollar settlement three years ago could have saved a lot of grief for a local law firm and more than $15 million for its malpractice insurer.See also this entry from June 20, 2008, and this one from July 8th.Insurance Commissioner Jim Atterholt closed the books on the failed Indiana Construction Industry Trust this week, returning nearly $18 million to 8,200 members of the trust. And that led to a tidy profit for attorneys Irwin Levin and Richard Shevitz, who pursued the settlements for Atterholt.
For the first time, a partner of Fillenwarth Dennerline Groth & Towe discussed the hellish three years since a jury found it liable for the trust's claims. There were a lot of bitter tears, uncertainty and raw emotions, since that 2006 verdict, partner William Groth said.
"Remarkably, everybody stuck together through what were some tough times," Groth said.
Frederick Dennerline III, who represented the trust, had wanted to settle the case for the $1 million policy limit on its malpractice insurance, but ProNational Insurance Co. refused. A convoluted legal battle ensued.
In June, Fillenwarth Dennerline settled with Atterholt for $50,000 and the right to collect whatever it could from ProNational. Settlement talks reached fruition early this week, after the insurer agreed to pay $16.5 million.
Fillenwarth Dennerline's clients were loyal throughout the ordeal, Groth said. Now that it's over, he added, "Business is as good now as it has ever been."
Guess it's true that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on October 16, 2008 05:44 PM
Posted to Indiana Law