Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy Announces California Court Orders Safelite AutoGlass to Answer Whistleblower Complaint Alleging Rampant Insurance Fraud; Case Set for September 2025 Trial
2024年7月22日 - 10:00PM
ビジネスワイヤ(英語)
Court denies Safelite’s motion to strike
complaint alleging that Safelite knowingly submitted false bills to
insurers for years
Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP announces the San Mateo
County Superior Court in California denied a motion to strike a
whistleblower complaint filed against Safelite Group Inc., Safelite
AutoGlass and Safelite Solutions LLC, alleging widespread
violations of California’s Insurance Fraud Prevention Act
(CFPA).
In the unsealed complaint, the whistleblower, Brian Williams, a
former Safelite product development and strategy manager, alleges
that Safelite violated the CFPA for years by issuing false and
misleading bills to insurance companies for original equipment
manufacturer or “OEM” moldings, even though less expensive
universal moldings were installed instead. Insurance companies were
unaware that they were paying for the cheaper parts because
Safelite allegedly programmed its billing system to suppress the
information.
The complaint also alleges that Safelite implemented a “Care and
Clean Service” during the Covid pandemic, where technicians were
supposed to use special COVID-19 sanitation wipes developed by
Safelite to clean the vehicle before beginning a job and before
returning the vehicle to the customer, charging insurers for the
service. However, the complaint alleges that Safelite’s technicians
repeatedly failed to use the wipes to sanitize vehicles but
continued to bill insurance companies for the service.
The Superior Court issued an order denying Safelite’s motion to
strike the sanitation wipe claims. The Court has set this case for
trial on September 29, 2025.
Mark Molumphy, a partner at Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, the
law firm representing Mr. Williams, stated, “Safelite’s customers
and their insurers expected to receive the high quality products
and services that they were billed and paid for.”
Tyson Redenbarger, a partner at Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy,
added, “The order will allow the pursuit of claims for millions of
dollars in overcharges and statutory penalties in California.”
Gia Jung, an associate at Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, who
argued the motion to strike, stated, “This is an important victory
for our client and all Californians who pay insurance rates
premised on honest charges and billing practices. We look forward
to taking this case to trial.”
When the complaint was filed in January 2022, the names of the
defendants were originally sealed. The California Court unsealed
the complaint and the identities of the parties. A similar action
was also filed and unsealed in Illinois Circuit Court against the
same parties.
About Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP
Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP engages exclusively in
litigation and trials and has earned a national reputation for its
dedication to prosecuting or defending socially just actions. To
learn more about the firm, visit www.cpmlegal.com.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240722337615/en/
Mark Molumphy Tyson Redenbarger Gia Jung
Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP Phone: (650)
697-6000