In this episode of The Deep Dive, we break down a significant federal memorandum decision dismissing a racketeering lawsuit filed by Roosevelt Road Re Ltd. and Tradesman Program Managers against a law firm they accused of orchestrating a construction injury fraud scheme.
The plaintiffs alleged a coordinated effort to fabricate workplace injuries and exploit insurance claims. But the court never reached the substance of the fraud allegations. Instead, it focused on standing under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).
Because the plaintiffs operated as reinsurers, the judge found their financial injuries too remote from the alleged misconduct to satisfy RICO’s direct injury requirement. Applying collateral estoppel, the court emphasized that these same parties had already lost on identical standing grounds in prior litigation. Reframing the theory without changing their commercial status wasn’t enough.
The result? Federal RICO claims dismissed with prejudice—and the court declined to exercise jurisdiction over the remaining state law claims.
This episode examines the limits of RICO standing, the power of collateral estoppel, and what this ruling means for insurers, reinsurers, and fraud-driven litigation strategy moving forward.
Time to Dive In.
