Michigan Landmark Legal Settlements
Autism class action suit settled
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan in 2010 settled an historic autism lawsuit and agreed to pay $1 million to families whose children either were denied coverage for autism treatment under Blue Cross policies or paid for their care out of pocket. The settlement is the first of its kind in the nation.
The insurance company agreed to a $1 million settlement with more than 100 families seeking coverage for autism treatments. Blue Cross agreed to cover what is known as applied behavioral therapy (ABA) treatments.
Mediation forestalls litigation in landmark interstate water rights case
A long-standing water diversion dispute between the states of Michigan and Illinois was settled in 1996.
The settlement outlined the terms of the agreement with Illinois on the diversion of water from Lake Michigan at Chicago. The resolution of this case was the closing chapter in what had been a long history of water disputes in the region.
Foster care settlement to improve system
A 2008 settlement of a landmark children's rights lawsuit brought significant improvements to Michigan's foster care system.
Under the settlement, about 200 specialists were hired to handle the cases of 6,000 children in foster care, reducing the number of cases for current workers.
Children's Rights, a national nonprofit organization, had sued the department after a study showed that the state's foster care system violates legal requirements to ensure permanent homes for children.
Copyright© 2012 LexisNexis. All rights reserved.