Patrick Hindert, the Executive Director of TSSG, decided to stretch his typing muscles by posting the schedule for Spencer v Hartford 4. Let’s be honest, though—how many people who actually care about those deadlines are rushing to Beyond Structured Settlements for updates? Spoiler: not many. The trial is slated for Fall 2010.
For those who don’t have the patience for this level of pedantry, we recommend a much simpler option to track the Spencer case. It’s called PACER.
The PACER System offers an inexpensive, fast, and comprehensive case information service to any individual with a personal computer (PC) and Internet access who is seeking information about Spencer v Hartford Financial Services Group.
An added plus for those who read Hindert’s blog is that it’s free of the comment spam that often pervades Beyond Structured Settlements.
Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) is described is an electronic public access service that allows users to obtain case and docket information from Federal Appellate, District and Bankruptcy courts, and the U.S. Party/Case Index via the Internet. Links to all courts are provided from the web site. Electronic access is available by registering with the PACER Service Center, the judiciary’s centralized registration, billing, and technical support center.
PACER is a service of the United States Judiciary.
I think most practitioners in the settlement industry would agree that the aspect of PAST Hartford Financial Services Group business practices, with respect to the often draconian, at times non competitive structured settlements offered to claimants and plaintiffs against Hartford insureds, were extremely unpopular.
The Hartford program at the time was unique in that despite the credit of the company being downgraded from A+ , until close to the end, if a plaintiff wanted a structured settlement from a Hartford insured, it had to be more of less exclusively funded with Hartford Life Insurance Company.
Up until a certain point following the commencement of litigation in Spencer v Hartford, those fundings were allegedly at a discount to that offered to claimant and litigants who were not litigating against Hartford insured tortfeasors.
Hartford Life Insurance Company made a business decsion to no longer write structured settlements as of November 2009. In September 2009, it was announced that structured settlements emanating from the resolution of a claim or lawsuit against a Hartford insured no longer had to be quoted with Hartford Life Insurance Company.
John Darer and Mark Wahlstrom covered the Hartford Life withdrawal on The Legal Broadcast Network on October 28, 2009
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