NEW PARTIES ADDED TO CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST LAWYERS FOR CHARGING RUNNER FEES IN STORM SANDY RELATED CLAIMS

By: Danyelle A. Halpern, Esq.

http://www.njlawjournal.com/id=1202746103205/Class-Suit-Claims-Sandy-Lawyers-Used-Runners-Charged-Improper-Fees?mcode=0&curindex=0&curpage=1

Two additional parties have been added to a New Jersey Hurricane Sandy class action suit in Ocean County New Jersey. Two Texas law firms, that represent plaintiffs in hundreds of filed Hurricane Sandy property damage claims are accused of improperly charging clients $250 which likely represents an improper runner fee for each Sandy-related insurance claim that the runners referred to the firms.

The suit alleges that the defendants "conspired to collect from the persons they represented in insurance claims related to Hurricane Sandy improper expert fees and they did so by taking the loss report prepared by the firm that received the 'runner' fee and having a second public adjuster copy that report and present it on its letterhead and thereafter charge the clients an outrageous expert fee."

The suit brings claims for violation of New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing and breach of contract and common law fraud.