By City News Service
Lindsay Lohan's former lawyers sued an insurance company Thursday for allegedly breaching a contract to fully pay her legal costs in two lawsuits against the actress that eventually settled.
McPherson Rane LLP filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Co. The suit seeks a minimum of nearly $30,000 and possibly more as interest and damages are fully calculated.
A representative of the insurer could not be immediately reached.
According to the complaint, Lohan reached a settlement in a lawsuit filed against her by three men who were along for the ride when she left a 2007 party and started trailing her assistant.
The incident in Santa Monica resulted in her second DUI arrest that year.
Ronnie Blake, Jakon Sutter and Dante Nigro sued the "Mean Girls'' star in October 2008. Their allegations included false imprisonment, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and assault and battery.
Lohan was sued in a separate case in August 2007 by Tracie Rice, the passenger riding in the actress' assistant's car when Lohan was following them.
Both suits were filed in Santa Monica Superior Court. According to the McPherson Rane suit, St. Paul Fire agreed to pay for Lohan's defense in both cases if her lawyers agreed to reduce their hourly rate nearly in half to $250.
The firm agreed to the lower rate in both cases, the suit states.
"Although plaintiff vigorously and aggressively defended Lohan in the Rice action and the Sutter action, and plaintiff successfully negotiated a settlement of (both lawsuits), defendants have failed and refused to pay certain defense costs and fees totaling $29,533.65, which has been outstanding since April 26, 2010,'' the suit alleges.
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