Posted On: August 31, 2007, 4:31 pm CDT

Posted By: Brian Roach

Marc Dann and the Ohio Attorney General's Office are not the only ones fighting for fair, honest representation from agents on behalf of Ohio residents. Independent agent Brian Roach has sued 9 insurance agents in and around Canton Ohio for attempted monopolization of the group health insurance brokerage markets in Stark and surrounding counties. Stark County Judge John G. Haas ruled June 1, 2007 that "it is clear that Roach(defendant) has alleged an antitrust injury" and that "Defendant(Roach) has sufficiently pled a claim for civil Conspiracy". The case is ongoing alleging that 9 competing agents, in secret dealings with an insurance carrier, conspired to share and monopolize the group health plan markets in a 7 county area. The conspiracy included secret payments from the carrier and annual "retreats" where the co-conspirators collaborated and shared information that "have affected his(Roach) ability to compete in the group health care insurance market, proximately caused higher prices, lower quality services, and less choice for consumers."
The agents being sued are: Leonard Insurance Services, Eastern Ohio Benefits(Sky Insurance), GDK and Company, DiStefano Insurance Services, Becker, McDowell Agency(Sky Insurance), Hanhart Agency, Hummel Insurance, Miller and Miller Insurance and Pipes Insurance Services.
For more information on this case, Brian Roach can be contacted at brianroach1@gmail.com or 330-936-2277. Attorney for Brian Roach, George Pilat of the Cleveland firm of McIntyre, Kahn and Kruse can be reached at 216-579-4114