CLARKSBURG – Two disaster recovery service businesses in West Virginia allege that they have been damaged by insurance company practices because they are not members of the Contractor Connection network.
Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration Inc. and Master Dry LLC filed a complaint Sept. 22 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia against Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co., Contractor Connection, Joseph E. Freme, et al. citing the West Virginia Antitrust Act.
According to the complaint, the plaintiffs are not part of the Contractor Connection network and allege that the defendants have a practice of "steering casualty claims away" from the plaintiffs toward contractors that are "preferred providers." The plaintiffs allege that as a result of defendants' conduct, they have suffered economic losses and non-economic damages.
The plaintiffs holds Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co., Contractor Connection, Freme and others responsible because the defendants allegedly refused to deal with Contractor Connection non-members and led consumers to know that they will only pay for work from contractors on the Contractor Connection list.
The plaintiffs request a trial by jury and seek damages for three times the amount of their losses, compensatory and punitive damages, plus interest, attorney's fees, costs and any further relief as the court may deem just and proper. They are represented by Christopher J. Regan of Bordas & Bordas PLLC in Wheeling.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia case number 3:17-cv-00117