Silicosis Lawyer Indicted

A Houston lawyer has been indicted along with two insurance company employees on charges they participated in a kickback scheme in silicosis cases.

Prosecutors claim Warren Todd Hoeffner agreed to pay two claims managers for the Hartford a $3 million kickback for approving a $34 million settlement of silicosis cases, according to a press release.

A grand jury returned the indictment (PDF) yesterday, the Houston Chronicle reports.

A hat tip to the Wall Street Journal’s Law Blog, which posted the story and related documents.