Heckathorn v. Farmers TCPA Class Action Settlement
Heckathorn v. Farmers TCPA Class Action Settlement
Farmers Insurance Exchange, Farmers Insurance Company, Inc. and Fire Insurance Exchange have agreed to a $1.25 million settlement over allegations that insurance agents marketing Farmers products placed telemarketing calls and text messages to numbers on the National Do-Not-Call Registry, in violation of the TCPA. People who received two or more such calls or texts between April 19, 2020 and June 15, 2026 can submit a Claim Form by September 14, 2026 for a pro rata share of the fund, up to $160.
Settlement fund
$1.25M
Common fund
Top payout
Up to $160
Pro rata per claimant
Claim deadline
Sep 14, 2026
70 days remaining
You may be owed money
Filing is free and takes a few minutes. Deadline: Sep 14, 2026.
Do you qualify?
You are a Class Member if ALL of the following apply:
- You received two or more telemarketing calls or text messages from insurance agents Nickolas Ward, Nate Esparza, Kyle Ryan Gray, Dustin Huffman, Jason Hall, Brian Shirey, and/or LeNard Rhone (or their agencies) marketing Farmers® insurance during a 12-month period between April 19, 2020 and the date the Settlement received preliminary approval.
- Your phone number was registered on the National Do-Not-Call Registry for more than 30 days at the time the calls or texts were received, and the number is registered to an individual, not a business.
- To receive a payment, you must also certify on the Claim Form that you did not visit a website to request an insurance quote from Farmers or its agents before the calls or texts, and that you were not a Farmers customer at the time or within 18 months before receiving them.
- Excluded: Farmers, its officers, directors, and employees, and their immediate family members; Plaintiff's counsel; and members of the Missouri judiciary.
Not sure if you qualify? Call the Settlement Administrator at 1-800-261-9045, or visit HeckathornTCPASettlement.com.
What happened
Named plaintiff Spencer Heckathorn alleged that insurance agents Nickolas Ward, Nate Esparza, Kyle Ryan Gray, Dustin Huffman, Jason Hall, Brian Shirey, and/or LeNard Rhone, marketing Farmers® insurance products and services, placed telemarketing calls and sent text messages to consumers whose phone numbers were registered on the National Do-Not-Call Registry, in violation of the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act, 47 U.S.C. § 227. Records produced in the litigation indicate that approximately 12,545 people may have received such calls or texts between April 19, 2020 and June 15, 2026.
Farmers denies these claims and denies any wrongdoing or liability. The parties agreed to settle to avoid the cost, risk, and time of continued litigation, and the Court has certified a class action for settlement purposes only.
How to file a claim
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1. Confirm you are eligible
You qualify if you received two or more telemarketing calls or text messages marketing Farmers® insurance from the named agents (or their agencies) during a 12-month period between April 19, 2020 and preliminary approval, on a cell number that was on the Do-Not-Call Registry for more than 30 days and registered to an individual, not a business.
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2. Tally up your claim
The $1.25 million Settlement Fund is divided on a pro rata basis among Settlement Class Members who submit valid, timely Claim Forms, after administrative expenses, attorneys' fees and costs (up to $396,666.67), and a service award to Spencer Heckathorn (up to $11,000) are deducted. Each valid claimant is capped at $160; your actual payment depends on how many valid claims are submitted.
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3. File online or by mail
Submit the Claim Form online at heckathorntcpasettlement.com by September 14, 2026, or mail a signed paper Claim Form (postmarked by September 14, 2026) to: Heckathorn TCPA Settlement, c/o Atticus Administration, PO Box 64053, St. Paul, MN 55164. You may also email a signed Claim Form to the Settlement Administrator.
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4. Receive your payment
Payments are issued within 60 days after the Court grants final approval at the September 23, 2026 Final Approval Hearing and any appeals are resolved. The appeal process can take a year or more. Checks expire and become void 180 days after they are issued. No follow-up is required once your claim is submitted.
Key dates
- Aug 27, 2026 Opt-out & objection deadline Upcoming
- Sep 14, 2026 Claim filing deadline Upcoming
- Sep 23, 2026 Final Fairness Hearing (10:30 a.m. CT, in person) Upcoming
- TBD after final approval Payments issued to claimants Pending
The Final Approval Hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on September 23, 2026 in the Circuit Court of St. Louis County, Missouri, Division 17, 105 S. Central Avenue, Clayton, MO 63105. The Court may move the hearing, so check HeckathornTCPASettlement.com for updates before traveling.
Where the money is going
Attorneys' fees and costs, a service award to the class representative, and notice and administration costs come out of the $1.25 million Settlement Fund before pro rata payments (capped at $160 per claimant) are calculated for class members who submit valid claims.
All amounts listed above are pending and subject to final court approval at the September 23, 2026 Final Approval Hearing. The Court may award less than the amounts requested. Payments are capped at $160 per claimant and calculated on a pro rata basis, so if valid claims are high, individual payments will be lower.
Common questions
How much money will I receive?
Each valid claimant receives a pro rata share of the $1.25 million Settlement Fund, up to $160, after administrative expenses, attorneys' fees and costs, and a service award to the named plaintiff are deducted. Your exact payment cannot be calculated until the claims deadline passes and the total number of valid claims is known.
Do I need to submit proof of purchase?
No documentary proof (such as call logs) is required. You must certify on the Claim Form itself that you did not visit a website to request an insurance quote from Farmers or its agents before receiving the calls or texts, and that you were not a Farmers customer at the time or within the 18 months before.
What if I didn’t receive a notice?
Records produced in the litigation identified an estimated 12,545 people who may have received qualifying calls or texts. If you believe you received two or more such calls or texts marketing Farmers® insurance between April 19, 2020 and June 15, 2026 but did not get a notice, contact the Settlement Administrator at 1-800-261-9045 or HeckathornTCPASettlement.com to ask about filing a claim.
Does staying in the class affect my right to sue later?
Unless you mail a written exclusion request postmarked by August 27, 2026, you will be bound by the Settlement and will release your claims against Farmers and the named agents over the calls and texts at issue in this case, meaning you give up the right to sue separately over the same conduct.
When will payments be sent out?
If the Court grants final approval at the September 23, 2026 Final Approval Hearing, payments are issued within 60 days after approval becomes final and any appeals are resolved. Appeals can take a year or more. Checks expire 180 days after they are issued.
Dapeer Law, P.A.
Consumer class action attorneys based in South Florida. We track settlements so you don’t have to.
Similar open settlements
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Dapeer Law, P.A. is not the administrator of this settlement and is not affiliated with Farmers Insurance Exchange, Farmers Insurance Company, Inc. and Fire Insurance Exchange (collectively, "Farmers"), Atticus Administration (the Settlement Administrator), or Class Counsel Christopher E. Roberts of Butsch Roberts & Associates LLC, David T. Butsch of Butsch Roberts & Associates LLC, Jacob Ginsburg of Kimmel & Silverman, P.C., and Colton Richardson of Richardson Richardson Boudreaux. The case is Heckathorn v. Farmers Insurance Exchange, et al., Case No. 26SL-CC03879, pending in the Circuit Court of St. Louis County, Missouri (Division 17) before the presiding judge of Division 17 (name TBD - verify before publishing). Class representatives are Spencer Heckathorn. Farmers denies wrongdoing. This website is attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
