Hartford UIM Coverage Class Action Settlement, New Mexico Policyholders May Claim Cash or Premium Refund by May 22, 2026
A class action settlement against Property and Casualty Insurance Company of Hartford and Hartford Insurance Company of the Midwest resolves allegations that the insurers collected premiums for misleading underinsured motorist coverage and improperly reduced or denied UIM benefits by applying offsets for amounts paid by at-fault drivers.
The lawsuit — Raya Soleil, Ross Soleil, and Mary Hammonds v. Property and Casualty Insurance Company of Hartford and Hartford Insurance Company of the Midwest, Case No. D-202-CV-2023-08611 — is pending in the New Mexico District Court for Bernalillo County, Second Judicial District. Eligible New Mexico policyholders can file claims for additional UIM benefits or a refund of 23% of all UIM premiums paid during the class period, with claims due by May 22, 2026.
Quick Facts
- Case Name: Soleil and Hammonds v. Property and Casualty Insurance Company of Hartford and Hartford Insurance Company of the Midwest
- Case Number: D-202-CV-2023-08611
- Court: New Mexico District Court, Bernalillo County, Second Judicial District
- Defendants: Property and Casualty Insurance Company of Hartford; Hartford Insurance Company of the Midwest
- Settlement Status: Proposed — court has not yet granted final approval
- Who May Be Affected: New Mexico policyholders who had UIM coverage with Property and Casualty Insurance Company of Hartford between December 29, 2014, and March 18, 2022, or with Hartford Insurance Company of the Midwest between January 1, 2019, and March 18, 2022
- Compensation Options: Additional UIM benefits (Option 1) or 23% premium refund (Option 2)
- Claim Deadline: May 22, 2026 (online by 11:59 p.m. or mail postmarked by May 22, 2026)
- Opt-Out / Objection Deadline: February 21, 2026 (this deadline has now passed)
- Official Settlement Website: SoleilUIMClassSettlement.com
- Claims Administrator Phone: 1-877-702-7792
- Claims Administrator Email: [email protected]
Current Status and What Happens Next
A settlement has been reached in this lawsuit. The court has not yet granted final approval, and payments will be provided only after any issues with the settlement are resolved. Here is where things stand:
- Claim period is open — eligible class members can file claims online or by mail through May 22, 2026.
- Opt-out deadline has passed — the deadline to exclude yourself from the settlement was February 21, 2026. Anyone who did not submit a timely exclusion request remains part of the class and will be bound by the court’s orders and the settlement terms if approved.
- Final approval pending — the court must still grant final approval before any payments are distributed.
- Payments timeline — the settlement administrator will distribute payments within 30 days of claim approval, or 120 days after the court resolves any appeals and grants final approval to the settlement, whichever is later.
- If you do nothing — you will not receive any settlement benefits, and you will still be bound by the settlement’s release of claims against Hartford if the court approves it.
What the Lawsuit Alleges
The lawsuit alleges that the defendants collected premiums for illusory or misleading underinsured motorist automobile insurance coverage, and improperly applied offsets from UIM benefits for amounts paid as a result of automobile accidents by liable parties.
In plain terms, UIM coverage is designed to protect policyholders when they are injured by a driver whose liability insurance is not enough to cover their full damages. The plaintiffs allege that Hartford collected premiums for this coverage but then reduced — or entirely eliminated — the UIM benefits it paid by subtracting the amount the at-fault driver’s liability insurer had already paid. Plaintiffs argue this practice made the UIM coverage effectively worthless in many cases, and that collecting premiums for it was misleading under New Mexico law.
Plaintiff alleged generally that the defendants breached their contracts — the insurance policies — and violated the law by failing to pay certain amounts to plaintiffs and other New Mexico insureds who submitted claims for UIM benefits during the class period. Hartford denies any wrongdoing but agreed to settle to avoid the costs and risks of further litigation.
Who Could Be Included — Class Definition
The settlement class is defined as all individuals — and their heirs, executors, administrators, successors, and assigns — who, during the class period, were insured under New Mexico automobile insurance policies issued by the defendants which included UIM coverage.
You must meet all of the following criteria to qualify:
- A New Mexico automobile insurance policy issued by Property and Casualty Insurance Company of Hartford between December 29, 2014, and March 18, 2022, or by Hartford Insurance Company of the Midwest between January 1, 2019, and March 18, 2022, covered you.
- Your policy included underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage.
- The policy covered you as a policyholder, named insured, passenger, or authorized driver during the class period.
Individuals may qualify even if the defendants no longer insure them, they were not the named insured on the policy, they previously made a UIM claim, or they never made a UIM claim.
Excluded from the class: All present or former officers and/or directors of the defendants, class counsel and their resident relatives, the judge in the action and resident relatives, and defendants’ counsel of record and their resident relatives.
Settlement Details — Two Compensation Options
Option 1 — Additional UIM Benefits (Accident Claimants)
Class members who were injured in a car accident and whose UIM claim Hartford denied or reduced due to an offset — in which Hartford reduced their UIM benefits by the amount of the at-fault driver’s liability coverage — may be eligible for a payment equal to the amount of the offset, subject to a review of their damages. The actual amount class members receive may be less than the full offset, depending on their damages. Some class members may receive nothing if their damages do not support a higher payment.
Those who represent a wrongful death claim do not need to file a claim form. The settlement administrator will automatically pay them if they are eligible.
Option 2 — Premium Refund (All Class Members)
If you submit a valid claim form and are eligible, Hartford will send you a settlement payment of 23% of your UIM premium for all the policy periods during the class period where you were insured by the defendants. This option is available to all class members, including those who never made a UIM claim.
How to File a Claim
- Online: Visit SoleilUIMClassSettlement.com and log in using the Unique ID and PIN from your settlement notice. After submitting your completed claim form online, you will receive an email with a confirmation code — keep this for your records.
- By Mail: Download and print the PDF claim form from the settlement website, or request a paper copy, and mail it to: Soleil and Hammonds v. Hartford, c/o Claims Administrator, P.O. Box 2775, Portland, OR 97208-2775. Mail must be postmarked by May 22, 2026.
- Phone: 1-877-702-7792
- Email: [email protected]
If you did not receive a notice or have lost yours, contact the claims administrator at 1-877-702-7792 to obtain your Unique ID and PIN. You will need these 10-character alphanumeric and 4-digit credentials to file online.
Similar New Mexico UIM Settlements — Broader Pattern
The Hartford settlement is part of a wave of class action lawsuits in New Mexico targeting auto insurers over alleged UIM offset practices and misleading coverage. Understanding the pattern helps policyholders recognize how these cases work.
Allstate (Belanger v. Allstate): Plaintiffs alleged that Allstate violated New Mexico law by misrepresenting UIM coverage and applying an offset due to the insurance coverage limits of third parties responsible for injuries or property damage. Allstate denied wrongdoing but settled. Class members who never made a UIM claim could receive a refund of either 12% of premiums paid for minimum limits unstacked UIM coverage, or 18% of premiums paid for all other UIM coverage — subject to a $2.2 million aggregate cap.
Progressive (Peck v. Progressive): A $1.765 million settlement resolved claims that Progressive charged premiums for stacked UM/UIM coverage on single-vehicle policies, where stacking — covering multiple vehicles — was impossible. New Mexico policyholders who purchased stacked coverage while insuring only one vehicle between 2009 and 2025 were eligible for automatic payments or claim-based payments.
Loya / Young America (Apodaca and Swiech): Loya Insurance agreed to pay $1.95 million to resolve claims it misrepresented the value of its UIM coverage and applied an illegal offset when paying claims. The offset allegedly reduced UIM benefits based on insurance coverage limits of third parties responsible for bodily injuries or property damage, which plaintiffs argued violated New Mexico law.
All of these cases share a common thread: New Mexico law provides strong protections for UIM policyholders, and courts have repeatedly scrutinized insurer practices that reduce UIM payouts through offsets or render coverage illusory.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a class action lawsuit?
Yes. A class action lawsuit — Raya Soleil, Ross Soleil, and Mary Hammonds v. Property and Casualty Insurance Company of Hartford and Hartford Insurance Company of the Midwest, Case No. D-202-CV-2023-08611 — is pending in the New Mexico District Court for Bernalillo County, Second Judicial District, and a settlement has been reached.
Has the settlement been approved by the court?
The court has not yet granted final approval of the settlement. Payments will be provided only after any issues with the settlement are resolved. The settlement is proposed and claim filing is open, but final approval is still pending.
Am I eligible even if I never filed a UIM claim?
Yes. Individuals may qualify for the 23% premium refund under Option 2 even if they never made a UIM claim, as long as they held a qualifying New Mexico policy with UIM coverage during the class period.
What is the claim deadline?
For your claim to be valid and timely, your claim form must be received by the claims administrator via the settlement website or postmarked by mail no later than May 22, 2026.
What if I lost my settlement notice and don’t have my ID and PIN?
If you did not receive a notice or have lost yours, contact the claims administrator at 1-877-702-7792 for assistance. You will need your unique 10-character alphanumeric ID and 4-digit PIN to file a claim online.
What does the 23% premium refund actually mean?
If you submit a valid claim form under Option 2, Hartford will send you a settlement payment equal to 23% of your UIM premium for all policy periods during the class period in which you were insured by the defendants. The exact dollar amount depends on how much UIM premium you paid and for how many years.
When will payments be sent out?
The settlement administrator will distribute payments within 30 days of claim approval, or 120 days after the court resolves any appeals and grants final approval to the settlement, whichever is later.
Can I still file a claim if the opt-out deadline has passed?
Yes. The opt-out deadline of February 21, 2026 has passed, but the claim filing deadline of May 22, 2026 remains open. Missing the opt-out deadline simply means you remain part of the class. You can still file a claim form by May 22, 2026 to receive settlement benefits.
Last Updated: March 5, 2026
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal claims and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. For advice regarding a particular situation, consult a qualified attorney.
About the Author
Sarah Klein, JD, is a licensed attorney and legal content strategist with over 12 years of experience across civil, criminal, family, and regulatory law. At All About Lawyer, she covers a wide range of legal topics — from high-profile lawsuits and courtroom stories to state traffic laws and everyday legal questions — all with a focus on accuracy, clarity, and public understanding.
Her writing blends real legal insight with plain-English explanations, helping readers stay informed and legally aware.
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