Progressive, Greg Coccaro settle eight-year legal battle

Greg Coccaro ended an eight-year legal battle with Progressive Insurance when the two parties settled out of court recently, avoiding a Jan. 28 court date. Terms of the settlement prohibit him from disclosing specific details.

“We came to an agreement and it’s finally over,” said Coccaro, owner of North State Custom in Bedford Hills, N.Y. “After eight long years I can now focus on putting all my energy back into my business. It was definitely a tough thing to go through.”

The settlement avoided going to trial over a lawsuit Coccaro filed against Progressive alleging tortious business interference. The suit alleged the insurer and one of its employees misrepresented North State's "workmanship, price, timeliness of service and character," resulting in more than $5 million in sales being steered away from the shop. Progressive did not reply to inquiries for comment.

That was the latest volley in court, which began eight years ago when Progressive sued Coccaro for fraud over repairs he made on a Mercedes-Benz. Coccaro was cleared of the fraud charges in court and on a subsequent appeal.

“After living with this day and night for eight long years, I’m relieved it’s over and my family also is relieved,” Coccaro said. “My wife notices the difference in me. She said I’m not as grumpy as I used to be.”

The legal battle was both expensive and eye opening, although Coccaro declined to estimate his total legal fees.

“I had never even been to small claims court before all this started,” Coccaro said. “To defend yourself against a billion-dollar corporation takes every bit of what you have in you to see it through. It’s not for the faint of heart.”

He pointed out that he was unable to recover any of the money he spent defending himself in the earlier fraud cases. He got back his good name and reputation, but when you are defending yourself in a lawsuit, even if you win, there is no financial recovery.

“It’s very difficult unless you have a war chest of funds,” he said. “Not many shops have that kind of disposable income. Only if you are forced into it, as I was, should you pursue something like this. I can live with myself and look at myself in the mirror, and that means a lot to me.”