RICO


This isn't the first time I've recycled an image, but considering this story, it's an appropriate visual aid:

State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. engaged in a "pattern of racketeering" by manipulating engineering reports on Hurricane Katrina damage so the company could deny policyholder claims, lawyers for a group of Mississippi homeowners allege in a lawsuit filed Wednesday.

The federal suit against State Farm represents a new legal strategy for attorney Richard "Dickie" Scruggs, who has played a prominent role in challenging the insurance industry for its handling of Katrina claims.

Hundreds of homeowners in Mississippi and Louisiana have sued their insurers for denying their claims after the Aug. 29, 2005, storm. The suits typically accuse insurers of bad faith and breach of contract for refusing to pay for damage from Katrina's storm surge.

Well, I guess we'll have to see how this plays out as a legal matter...but beyond the legal definition, anyone who's dealt with or witnessed people dealing with insurance companies as a result of Katrina now knows that the industry is a barely disguised racket that will take your money, but will look for any excuse to deny a claim.

To your modern GOP, that's just the "efficiency of the free market" in action.