Ark. Agent Awarded More Than $2.5M in Aon Risk Services Case

A Pulaski County Circuit Court jury awarded a Little Rock, Ark., insurance agent more than $2.55 million dollars in alleged unpaid salary and commissions in a case involving Aon Risk Services of Arkansas Inc. and Aon Risk Services of Illinois Inc., subsidiaries Aon Corporation of America Inc.

In a news release, the law firm of Welch and Kitchens LLC said John M. Meadors, 63, filed suit in 2002 against the companies alleging that he had been underpaid or shorted when he brought in major accounts to the Arkansas and Illinois Aon companies. The largest alleged account concerned employee benefits packages for more than 20,000 employees of Dillard Stores. Meadors brokered the entire five-year Dillard’s contract through Aon’s Combined Insurance subsidiary.

The bulk of the award, $2.5 million, was against Aon Risk Services of Arkansas relating to unpaid salary and transactions brokered by Meadors for Dillard’s, J.B. Hunt and Pace Industries, the news release said.

The jury also awarded a separate verdict in Meador’s favor against Aon Risk Services of Illinois for $44,500.

An Aon spokesman contacted by Insurance Journal said the company had no comment to make about the case.

Morgan E. “Chip” Welch of Little Rock was the lead attorney for Meadors. Assisting were Little Rock attorneys Gerry Schulze and Ralph M. Cloar. The case was presided over by the Honorable Timothy Fox. Tony Wilcox of Jonesboro served as the lead defense attorney for Aon.

Meadors, a native of Morrilton, has been in the insurance business in Little Rock since 1964, beginning his career with Fireman’s Fund. He was co-owner of a local insurance brokerage business, Ramer, McCann, Meadors and Cargile, selling the firm in 1984 to E.H. Crump and Company of Memphis, a regional insurance brokerage company. Meadors is now vice president of Rebsamen Insurance, based in Little Rock.

Topics Agencies Illinois Aon Arkansas Alaska