Tag: Rigsby Sisters

Getting to know Qui Tam and Tony Dewitt

No one appears to be better qualified to breathe life into a Qui Tam claim than Tony Dewitt – the respiratory therapist- turned-attorney who filed the Rigsby sisters’ Qui Tam claim against State Farm.

Author of Is the Whistle Clean – An Examination of the Ethical Obligations of Attorneys in Filing False Claims Act Lawsuits and Citiizen Attorney Generals and the False Claims Act, Dewitt is an attorney with Bartimus, Frickleton, Robertson & Obetz of Kansas City, Missouri

With Dewitt’s full article linked above, what I’ve attempted to do in this post is link a few frequently heard questions and comments to related text. Continue reading “Getting to know Qui Tam and Tony Dewitt”

Suspension of Ex Rel Rigsby Sought (Updated)

We are greeted this morning with an Anita Lee story on the Risgby Qui Tam case. While the Anthony Dewitt and company prepare their response to the latest barrage of State Farm legal filings they have asked the suit itself be suspended until Judge Senter rules. Here is the report:

Attorneys are asking for suspension of their whistle-blower lawsuit against State Farm until a federal judge decides whether they can continue to prosecute the case. Continue reading “Suspension of Ex Rel Rigsby Sought (Updated)”

Mississippi Rigsby & Louisiana Branch: Dueling Qui Tam?

Rebecca Mowbray and Anita Lee have done wonderful jobs covering insurance issues in New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Our new readers may be interested to know that Ms Mowbray has recently won a prestigious business journalism award for her story “Same house. Same repairs. Same insurer. Why different prices?”. Not to be out done Anita Lee, along with Don Hammack, Michael Keller, Joshua Norman and Margaret Baker were recognized as finalists for the 2006 American Society of Newspaper Editors “Deadline News Reporting by a Team” for their coverage of Katrina news here on the coast.

Yesterday and today we are greeted with their reports on the latest State Farm filings in Ex Rel Rigsby, where State Farm filed to have the lawyers disqualified, the case dismissed and the Rigsby sisters charged with fraud. This latest attempt by State Farm to crush Cori and Kerri Rigsby has been largely lost in the shuffle of case analysis but the threat to them is very real. So before we move to tie in these developments with the Branch case in Louisiana lets start with some excerpts from yesterday’s Anita Lee story which comes complete with quotes from the Rigsby lawyer Anthony Dewitt. Continue reading “Mississippi Rigsby & Louisiana Branch: Dueling Qui Tam?”

State Farm grasping at straws in response to Qui Tam?

Would Jethro Bodine be able to figure out no one in the trailer on March 11, 2006, was watching the Beverly Hillbillies?

Read Toot, Toot Judge Senter – hear that whistle blowing – a Sop and Nowdy tag team post – and see if you agree with us

Those who would so easily dismiss the Cori and Kerri Rigsby as document theives are misguided…

Then, give yourself a screen name and comment (valid email required but not published).

I’m adding this here as the other post is too long. I saw this AP story on yesterday’s developments thanks to our friends over at the New Orleans News Ladder. Our blogroll just grew by one.  🙂  sop

Toot, Toot Judge Senter – hear that whistle blowing? (A Nowdy/Sop Tag team Post)

State Farm just needed Judge Senter’s DQ to launch an all out attack on the Rigsby sister’s Qui Tam. Answer Authorities Motion to Dismiss Motion to Disqualify Counsel Motion for Summary Judgement Support

Those interested in knowing more about Qui Tam law will find a helpful overview here. Those interested in finding out what really happened in that trailer will have to wait to read what attorneys for the Rigsby sister’s file for the definitive answer – or visit here and read more about the latest fantasy.

I have tried to picture in my mind what was going on there: was everyone huddled around looking at claims files on a laptop, gazing with wide open eyes at the wonder of it all? Was everyone present at once? Were some people off in a corner watching reruns of the Beverly Hillbillies, drinking a Pepsi and paging through Oprah’s latest magazine?

Obviously, this is no ordinary FEMA trailer fantasy! Continue reading “Toot, Toot Judge Senter – hear that whistle blowing? (A Nowdy/Sop Tag team Post)”

Breaking: Judge Senter Disqualifies Katrina Litigation Group

Anita Lee has broken the story that the remainder of the old Scruggs Katrina Group is disqualified from representing their insurance plaintiffs. The order entered today was in the McIntosh case but applies to all their remaining clients. I have a feeling Chip Merlin’s phone will now be ringing off the hook. Here is a copy of the order and here is a copy of Judge Senter’s opinion.

The reasoning relates to the payments made to the Rigsby sisters by Dickie Scruggs:

I have determined that disqualification is required because Scruggs, acting in furtherance of the SKG joint venture, paid the Rigsby sisters a substantial sum of money (a consulting fee of $150,000 per year) despite Scruggs’s knowledge that the Rigsby sisters were material witnesses in connection with many hurricane damage claims that were likely to become the subject of litigation. While Scruggs made the arrangements for these payments, the other members of the SKG joint venture knew or should have known that the payments were being made, and I am of the opinion that their failure to take timely and reasonable remedial steps or to object to this arrangement amounts to a ratification of Scruggs’s actions. While the other ethical misconduct alleged by State Farm and Renfroe are substantial, the payments to the Rigsby sisters are, in and of themselves, sufficient to warrant disqualification. Continue reading “Breaking: Judge Senter Disqualifies Katrina Litigation Group”