BENTON - Ansur America Insurance and lawyer James Borland of Peoria settled a legal malpractice claim after seven days of trial with jurors just beginning to deliberate.
U.S. District Judge Staci Yandle excused the jurors on Tuesday, March 18, after Ansur and Borland notified her of their agreement.
She gave Ansur and Borland 60 days to finalize it.
Ansur sued Borland and the Quinn Johnston firm of Peoria in 2021 claiming it paid more to settle an injury suit than it would have paid if not for Borland’s mistakes.
Helen Miles filed the suit against Signature Hardware at St. Clair County circuit court, claiming she suffered injury when a toilet seat she bought at the store broke.
Before trial, Ansur settled for more than $10 million.
Ansur then sued Borland and Quinn Johnston.
Yandle began trial on March 10 and the parties selected eight jurors.
Ansur presented its case first and jurors heard three hours of testimony that day and three hours the next day.
They heard four witnesses for six hours on March 12 ending with two and a half hours from Thomas Keefe III of Swansea who represented Miles in the underlying case.
Borland testified all day on March 13.
Two witnesses testified for Ansur on March 14 and Ansur rested.
In the afternoon two witnesses testified for Borland and Quinn Johnston, each for an hour.
Two witnesses testified for Borland and Quinn Johnston by video deposition on March 17 and a third witness testified live for three hours.
Borland and Quinn Johnston rested and Yandle held a conference on jury instructions.
On March 18, Robert Sweeney of Chicago delivered Ansur’s closing argument.
John Duffy of Chicago delivered Borland’s argument and Sweeney responded.
Yandle instructed jurors and sent them to the jury room at 3:28 p.m.
According to her minutes, “Counsel advised the court they have reached a settlement.”
She excused the jury at 4:05 p.m.