Ballard Sues Farmers, PR Firm for Libel over Mold Case

AUSTIN, Texas - According to a petition filed Nov. 6 in a Texas district court, Melinda Ballard has sued Farmers Insurance Croup and its public relations company for libel. Melinda Ballard v. Farmers Insurance Group, Hillco Partners, L.L.C., and Bill Miller, No. n/a (Texas Dist. Ct., Travis Cty.).

The libel claim is based on a statement made by a principal of Farmers' PR company, allegedly speaking as a Farmers' spokesperson, to a news reporter and subsequently published in at least one city newspaper that Ballard's bad faith and mold/water damage case against Farmers, currently pending appeal, is a "fraudulent case."