For more than 100 years, some insurance companies discriminated against African-Americans in pricing and payouts of life insurance policies. This practice began after the end of the civil war and continued as common practice for over a century.
Complaints have largely centered around life insurance policies such as “industrial life insurance” or “burial insurance”, policies with a low face-value that require small weekly premiums to maintain. Though the discriminatory pricing was banned in some companies, insurance policies may have stayed in effect until the 1980s or beyond and ultimately cost much more than a payout.
Between 2000 and 2004, a number of major cases were filed and settled with large insurance companies who had been accused of selling inferior policies at higher rates to African-American customers than to white customers.
Representing Consumer Protection Clients
Lawyers at Seeger Weiss, LLP served on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee prosecuting the federal cases that were centralized in the U.S. District Court in New Orleans for pre-trial coordination by a panel of Federal judges.
Cases settled included 16 conglomerate lawsuits which covered 14.8 million policies sold between 1900 and 1980 and required that companies pay more than $556 million in settlements and costs. Additional lawsuits were also settled separately.
Seeger Weiss represents clients in consumer protection cases against companies who have discriminated against or acted unfairly towards an individual or a group of individuals. If you or a loved one have suffered due to discrimination or other wrongful action you may be eligible for compensation.