Hartford Owes Lawyer Fees After Settling Life Insurance Lawsuit

Hartford Life & Accident Insurance Co. must pay nearly $200,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs after reaching a confidential settlement in a life insurance dispute following the death of a Long Island art teacher.

Hartford conceded at oral argument that it “did not—and indeed could not—dispute” that the plaintiffs obtained “some degree of success on the merits” in their lawsuit, Judge John G. Koeltl said Monday. That success is enough to justify an award of attorneys’ fees under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, said the judge, who sits in the US District Court for the Southern District of New ...