Progressive File Lawsuits On insurance Patents by dainy665dane

filed lawsuits against The Hartford and State Farm for alleged infringement on the three patents used in measuring vehicle usage through Progressive's Snapshot program.

Lawyers for Progressives had stated that the accused companies infringed their patent as they developed and installed telematics devices to their client's car to gather information pertaining to the speed, mileage, acceleration, time and day of driving, duration, and the turns it executed.

Progressive also claimed that their company is suffering from the effects of the said infringement on the in-car monitoring device being employed by their Snapshot program. They specifically named The Hartford's Truelane, and the State Farm's Drive Safe & Save programs in the complaints filed to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio at the end of April.

The Snapshot program provides clients a tool for getting car insurance and an opportunity to save on their insurance policy through attesting their safe driving habits. Through the said Progressive program, vehicle users can evaluate their data by the driving log accessible through a website that displays discount opportunities that can avail of. According to Progressive, the best chance for a client to have insurance savings is on driving lesser than the state's average driving mileage, reduced driving during peak hours, and gentler application of car brakes. Snapshot is being considered by Progressive as the most available program of its features, being accessible in 41 states.

On the other hand, The Harfford's program, TrueLane, is accessible in five states. It offers the opportunity for their policyholders to have reduced premiums by displaying safe driving habits by having a telematics device installed in their vehicles. On Progressive's lawsuit, The Hartford strongly denies the allegations through a press statement released by their spokesperson, Thomas Hambrick.

Moreover, State Farm's Drive Safe & Save program is available in 13 states, and according to their website, it uses statics from their policyholder's car to earn "real" savings. State Farm's spokesman Dick Luedke said that their company developed the said program as to offer additional discounts to their clients and reward their safe driving habits. Luedke also added that they had just been recently informed about the lawsuit.

Both accused companies had announced that they will be responding to the said issue on court soon. The case against State Farm has been referenced with the said court as 12cv1068 while that of The Hartford's is referenced to 12cv1070.

Posted in: Car Insurance