US: Allstate launches private fraud action.

An Arlington, Texas based chiropractic company and its owner lead a list of 66 defendants in a federal fraud lawsuit filed Thursday in Dallas. The suit alleges deception and coercion were used against people involved in motor vehicle accidents at clinics in Texas, Ohio, Indiana, and Alabama.

Allstate Insurance Company filed the suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas against Chiropractic Strategies Group, Inc., its owner Michael Kent Plambeck, related law office management companies, attorneys, telemarketers, and others involved in the alleged fraud scheme. Allstate seeks in excess of USD10 million.

The lawsuit was filed following an extensive investigation by Allstate's Special Investigative Unit, and seeks reimbursement for the sums Allstate has paid in regard to allegedly fraudulent claims. The lawsuit allegations include violations of the Federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), for which Allstate seeks treble damages and recovery of its attorney's fees and court costs.

"Insurance fraud is a [thousand million] dollar business that costs the average consumer USD300 in higher insurance premiums every year," said Edward Moran, Allstate assistant vice president in charge of the company's Special Investigation Unit. "Allstate is aggressively pursuing the fight against insurance fraud to protect consumers and help keep insurance costs down."

According to the 67 page complaint, the organization solicits persons who have been involved in motor vehicle accidents through telemarketing, which includes calls from a telemarketing entity the organization operates in Kenner, Louisiana. The telemarketers promise the prospective patients a free examination, and at times falsely represent that they are representatives of "Allstate" or an "insurance company."

Coerced and Deceived

The Court filing alleges that, once at the clinic, the solicited individuals are often coerced and deceived into treatment through a process the organisation calls "conversion." Potential patients are allegedly told they have sustained substantial injuries and require an immediate course of treatment. The complaint further alleges patients are then put through a standardised and unnecessary treatment plan. Once a solicited individual is "converted" into a patient, they are referred to a personal injury law office associated with the organisation. The Complaint alleges persons working at these law offices often come directly to the clinics to "sign up" patients as clients.

The Defendants

Named in the suit are Michael Kent Plambeck, D.C., Michael Capobianco, D.C., Paul Grindstaff, D.C., Robert Ekin D.C., Glen Wilcoxson, M.D., Randall Toca, Roland G. Toca II, Angel Junio, Douglas Friedman, Jennifer Giessner, Kim Grindstaff, Charles Mora, Irma Escandon, and Attorneys Eugene Mercier, Rodney Sipes, Margaret Ingle, Thomas Magelaner, Andrew LoCicero, and Scot Labourdette.

Business entities named in the suit include Chiropractic Strategies Group, Inc., Media Placement Services, Inc., Professional Management Group, LLC, Law Office Network, LLC and associated clinics in Texas, Ohio, Indiana, and Alabama.

Past and Present Clinics Locations

Texas Ohio Indiana Alabama

Dallas Cincinnati Indianapolis Birmingham

Grand Prairie Columbus Hammond Mobile

Haltom City Toledo South Bend Huntsville

Arlington Akron

Amarillo Cleveland

McAllen Canton

Harlingen Dayton

Weslaco Youngstown

Brownsville

Laredo

El Paso

San Antonio

Austin

Beaumont

Texas City