McIntoshes, State Farm Settle

Last week’s surprising announcement that Thomas and Pamela McIntosh were dropping extra-contractual and punitive damage claims against State Farm indicated that the case was about to settle. On Monday, a confidential settlement was announced and US District Judge L. T. Senter dismissed the case (.pdf). While the McIntoshes’ attorney Chip Merlin claimed that the settlement had no bearing on other pending State Farm lawsuits, State Farm’s press release, although certainly biased, really hits the nail on the head by describing the case the “centerpiece of Dickie Scruggs’ flawed Katrina legal strategy.” The Sun Herald has more here.