Judge Strikes AIG's Affirmative Defenses in NCCI Action

CHICAGO - An Illinois federal judge has struck affirmative defenses filed by American International Group Inc. in response to a $1 billion lawsuit accusing it of underreporting workers' compensation premiums in order to avoid assessments for assigned risk plans administered by the National Council on Compensation Insurance Inc. National Council on Compensation Insurance Inc. v. American International Group Inc., No. 07-2898 (N.D. Ill.).

In a Feb. 23 order, Judge Robert W. Gettleman of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois ruled that AIG's affirmative defenses were inadequately pleaded.

All states require employers to provide workers compensation …