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Participating in a classa action suit

I rec'd a letter from a law firm who filed suit against nationwide insur. Nationwide admitted no wrong but settled the suit. I assume since the lawyers had my name and address nationwide included me in a list of people who had insurance claims during the time period in question. I am to sign the form and return if i want to be included in the payout. I am still with nationwide auto and homeowners insurance. My credit isn't so great to go insurance shopping and plan to stay with Nationwide. Will they be informed I applied for any money and hold it against me in the future, possibly cancelling me out of retailiation? Can they legally? Or simply "find a reason" to cancel to be ugly to an "ungrateful" client who wanted part of the settlement. If I am entitled.

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Attorney answers (1)

Reputation Level 8
Assuming what you received was a notice of a class action settlement, it means that Nationwide has consented to the terms of that settlement, including any terms for compensating its insureds. If you agree to the terms, you will be able to avail yourself of the benefits of the settlement, but will likely waive the abilility to sue Nationwide on you own behalf for the issues that are the subject of the class aciton lawsuit. That doesn't sound like something you are contemplating anyway. Assuming all of the forgoing, Nationwide should not penalize you for simply participating in a settlement structure that it has agreed to. That being said, if you want to fully understand the terms of what you are signing, and it is best to always fully understand a document that you sign, you can protect yourself by reviewing it with a qualified attorney.

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