Over the objections of the insurance companies and attorneys for the plaintiffs, Superior Court Judge William F. Highberger granted a Farmers customer’s request to intervene in Fogel v. Farmers Group, Inc. and postponed the preliminary class action settlement approval hearing until March 2, 2011.

Consumer Watchdog's lawyers, who represent a former Farmers policyholder, argued that the terms of the settlement are unfair to customers.

"We are pleased that we will have the opportunity to pursue fair terms for class members, including actual refunds, before the court," said Consumer Watchdog lawyer and founder Harvey Rosenfield.  “Class action lawsuits are an important tool for justice when consumers get ripped off and fixing the terms of this settlement will benefit Farmers’ policyholders nationwide.”

Read the news release about the decision.

For more information about the Fogel case, visit its case page.