The former Tour de France title holder is being ordered to answer doping questions by a Texas judge.
A Texas judge is making insurance news as he has ordered Lance Armstrong to answer questions regarding his doping, particularly with respect to who knew about the behavior and when they became aware of it.
These questions could possibly include the discovery of whether or not Armstrong’s ex-wife and attorneys knew.
The insurance news making questions are being required as a part of an effort to obtain information in a lawsuit from Acceptance Insurance Holding against the cyclist. The Nebraska based insurer is looking to recover the $3 million in bonus that it paid to the cyclist for his Tour de France titles from 1999 through 2001. Previously, a judge had refused to allow the case to be dismissed.
The insurer is continuing to pursue the insurance news headline making suit to have the money returned.
According to Acceptance Insurance Holdings, Armstrong maintained a conspiracy over a number of years and covered up the fraud that he was committing. The true insurance news, here, is whether or not the insurer will be able to prove its claims. It is now seeking to determine when some of the personal and business associates of Armstrong became aware of his doping. This includes team officials, Armstrong’s lawyers, his ex-wife (Kristin Armstrong), and the President of the International Cycling Union, Pat McQuaid.
The cyclist’s attorney’s have already raised their objections to the demands through court documents that they have filed. They argue that Armstrong has already left his testimony that has acknowledged that he cheated in the races. Now, they state that the insurer is pursuing a “harassing, malicious … fishing expedition,” with the purpose of “make a spectacle of Armstrong’s doping.”
Armstrong has been required by Travis County District Judge Tim Sulak, to provide written answers and documents that speak to a number of questions. He has until the end of September to provide this information. The trial for the case has been slated for April 2014 and is certain to top the insurance news headlines.