Hylla
A fairness hearing is set to determine whether or not a $160,000 settlement of a 2001 class action against United Life Insurance Co. should stand.
Madison County Circuit Judge David Hylla will preside at the fairness hearing scheduled at 1 p.m. on Friday.
Hylla already entered the initial approval of the settlement between lead plaintiff Christopher Booher and the insurance company in October.
Booher settled with United Life on behalf of a class of car buyers who were allegedly sold fraudulent credit insurance.
The total settlement is worth $160,000.
Booher, a high school classmate of attorney Bradley Lakin, took home $2,500.
Lakin, the managing partner at the Wood River firm of LakinChapman LLC and his team, represented the class.
They will take home up to 40 percent of the settlement in fees.
The suit is one of a series filed by the former partnership of the then Lakin Law Firm and Chicago firm of Freed & Weiss.
That partnership fell apart in 2007.
Last year's settlement was the result of mediation.
Booher has headed at least one other Madison County class action.
Robert Schmieder II represents Booher and the class.
Paul Weiss is named as assistant counsel for the class.
James Garrison represents United Life Insurance.
The class action was certified by then-Madison County Circuit Judge Philip Kardis.
Kardis certified a nationwide suit that eventually was whittled to an Illinois-only class.
Former Madison County Circuit Judge Don Weber had the case before Hylla.
Another defendant in the case, Four Flags Motors, was dropped from the suit.
The case is Madison case number 01-L-1842.