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  Companies Reject Diocese Claims

By Bill Zajac
Republican [Greenfield MA]
October 5, 2005

GREENFIELD - Some insurance companies are stating that they are not responsible for paying any money used by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield to settle claims by those who said they were sexually abused by clergy, according to court documents.

A status conference for the consolidated Catholic clergy abuse cases scheduled for 2 p.m. today in Hampden Superior Court will be held in Franklin Superior Court, where Judge John A. Agostini is sitting this month. The decision was made in December 2003 to have Agostini handle all pending sexual abuse cases filed against the diocese.

Meanwhile, several insurance companies have submitted documents to the court stating they are not responsible for any monetary obligations to the diocese regarding the claims.

Also, Centennial Insurance Co. and Lloyd's of London have asked the court to dismiss a suit filed by the diocese in June seeking money from seven insurance companies to settle pending claims and reimburse the diocese for previous settlements with alleged clergy abuse victims.

The insurance companies also want the court to reimburse them for legal expenses, according to the documents that have been filed in the past few days.

In June 2005 Agostini decided also to preside over the diocese's legal action against the seven insurance carriers. At the time, the judge wrote that he would try to expedite the matter.

The diocese's suit against the insurance companies contains information about the number of claims that have been made in the Springfield diocese. Thirty-four claims allege abuse between Jan. 1, 1968, and Jan. 1, 1971. Twenty-one of those claims have been settled, according to the court document.

Fifty claims allege abuse between Jan 1, 1971, and Oct. 17, 1979. Twenty-four of those claims were settled by the diocese.

Currently, the diocese is facing 14 unsettled suits and 16 or so unsettled claims that were made directly to the diocese without a lawsuit filing.

The diocese settled 46 claims of clergy sexual abuse in 2004 for $7.7 million. The bulk of the settlement was paid with diocesan funds that the diocese hopes to replenish with money from insurance carriers through a settlement with them or court decision. The diocese also settled clergy sexual abuse claims in the 1990s.

 
 

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