NU Online News Service, June 25, 2:36 p.m.EDT

A judge in the Southern District of Mississippi has given StateFarm and two sisters accusing it of defrauding the U.S governmentmore than nine months to prepare for a trial after six years oflitigious backbiting.

The latest entry of about 950 in the case's docket report sincewhistleblowers Cori and Kerri Rigsby filed a well-publicized FalseClaims Act (FCA) lawsuit against State Farm in April 2006 sets atrial date of March 25, 2013.

Judge Halil S. Ozerden also set a settlement conference date inJanuary 2013 and a pretrial conference in February next year.

The Rigsbys, former independent claims adjusters, allege StateFarm doctored engineering reports after Hurricane Katrina so itcould allegedly send losses to the National Flood InsuranceProgram. Flood and storm surge losses are not covered by a standardhomeowners' insurance policy.

Earlier this month Ozerden ruled on the last of the pretrial motions in the case,denying State Farm's latest request to dismiss the lawsuit theRigsbys' request to expand its scope.