Defendant accused of swindling insurance customers answers suit

A defendant has answered litigation brought by Farmers Insurance Group, which alleges a former insurance agent kept premium money for herself, cheating the policy owners that it had to make whole.

As previously reported, Farmers, as subrogee of Truck Insurance Exchange, filed suit against Charlene Boudreaux-DeBlanc on Jan. 17 in Jefferson County District Court. 

Court records show that on Dec. 3 Boudreaux-DeBlanc filed a pro se answer, denying the plaintiff’s allegations and demanding strict proof.

On Oct. 25 a discovery control plan order was entered in the case, court records further show.

The order calls for the case to be mediated on or before Feb. 24 or face a trial in March 2014.

According to the lawsuit, Boudreaux-DeBlanc was an insurance agent and collected premiums on behalf of the plaintiff.

“However, through a continued course of wrongful conduct, instead of remitting the premiums in their entirety to plaintiff, defendant remitted only portions of the premiums, keeping substantial amounts of money for herself,” the suit states.

“Plaintiff was then required to make whole the policy owners who had been cheated by defendant.”

The suit accuses Boudreaux-DeBlanc of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract.

In its suit, Farmers is suing for actual damages, interest and court costs.

The Houston Law Offices of Kevin Michaels represents the plaintiff.

Judge Bob Wortham, 58th District Court, is assigned to the case.

Case No. A193-828