Attention All Claims Administrators: We urge you to read the letter below, which daisyBill CEO Catherine Montgomery sent to Gallagher Bassett.
This letter outlines the legal protections governing the content we publish on daisyNews and sends a clear message: daisyBill—not individual providers—is responsible for the content we publish and include with our bill submissions.
Questions or concerns should be directed to us or our lawyers, not to the providers who use our system.
Every bill providers submit through daisyBill includes a cover sheet. daisyBill billing software automatically generates these cover sheets, which contain essential billing information for claims adjusters and bill review entities, ensuring prompt and accurate bill payment.
The cover sheets also include a recent daisyNews article—factual, verifiable reporting on issues affecting providers and injured workers.
Recently, a daisyBill client informed us that they had received a vague threat from a Gallagher Bassett adjuster, reportedly in response to an article that appeared on a daisyBill bill cover sheet.
The article in question described Sedgwick Claims Management Services’ repeated failures to comply with California workers' compensation laws and regulations—including failure to correctly pay providers and disregard for the mandatory appeals process, among other abuses.
These are not groundless accusations against Sedgwick; they are documented instances supported by ample evidence and multiple formal Audit Complaints we’ve submitted to the state to report thousands of compliance violations.
To be absolutely clear: if Gallagher Bassett takes issue with the content of a daisyNews article, the proper channel to object is through daisyBill’s legal counsel—not harassing a provider who had nothing to do with an article's inclusion on our bill submission cover sheet.
To any other claims administrator considering similar threats: read our letter to Gallagher Bassett below. We insist that all claims administrators respect the legal protections that apply to factual, evidence-based reporting on matters of public interest.
Through its consistent failure to protect providers, the California Division of Workers’ Compensation (CA DWC) may have led claims administrators, such as Gallagher Bassett, to expect inaction in response to their actions. daisyBill is not the CA DWC—treat our clients accordingly.
Catherine Montgomery
CEO
daisyBill
Email: cmontgomery@daisybill.com
Phone: [Redacted]
May 29, 2025
[Redacted]
Claims Practice Specialist Senior – Workers Compensation
Gallagher Bassett, AIG Claims
Reporting Branch AIG WEST Region (Branch 269)
Office Location: Folsom, CA
Email: [Redacted]
Re: Alleged Retaliation and Legal Threats Concerning Public Commentary
Dear [Redacted],
We have received credible reports from one of our clients about a troubling communication, allegedly in response to a document sent with the billing that our system generated and submitted on this client’s behalf. The document in question included an excerpted summary of a publicly available blog post that contained a fact-based critique of a claims administrator.
According to our client, a representative of your organization called the excerpt “slander” and warned that the client would be “held accountable.” If accurate, such a statement amounts to an improper attempt to intimidate and suppress lawful expression on a matter of public concern.
We take such threats very seriously.
Let us be clear: such a statement constitutes a threat of legal retaliation in response to speech made in connection with an issue of public interest. California’s Anti-SLAPP statute (Code of Civil Procedure § 425.16) protects individuals and organizations from meritless legal threats aimed at silencing participation in public discourse. Accurate, evidence-based critiques of corporate actors involved in public-benefit systems are generally recognized by California courts as speech on matters of public interest and are subject to Anti-SLAPP protection. Truthful commentary supported by documentation on matters of public concern is not defamatory. It is not slander. It is lawful, protected activity under California law.
In addition, calling our published content “slander” is incorrect and reflects a misunderstanding of defamation law, as the applicable term for written or printed speech is “libel,” and even that claim lacks legal merit given the truth and documentation behind our reporting.
At this time, we have no independent verification that your organization issued this communication. We are reaching out to clarify the facts. If no such threat was made or if it was issued in error, we request that you inform us immediately so we can advise our client accordingly.
However, if the communication was intentional, we must insist that you retract it without delay. Threatening legal action against a provider for referencing public, factual content chills speech, intimidates stakeholders, and obstructs transparency in the workers' compensation system. Such conduct is not only unethical, but it may also give rise to legal exposure for interfering with business relationships and violations of state law.
Our reporting, whether it concerns a claims administrator or any other entity, is grounded in verifiable facts and supported by documentation. We stand fully prepared to defend it. To suggest otherwise is not only incorrect, but may itself amount to a false and defamatory accusation of libel, a claim that could give rise to independent legal liability.
If your organization takes issue with the content of our reporting, we encourage you to direct those concerns to our legal counsel:
Holland & Knight LLP
[General contact information provided here for publication]
1650 Market St Suite 3300 I Philadelphia PA 19103
General inquiries: www.hklaw.com l 215.252.9600
Should we not receive a clear retraction of the threat — if one was indeed made — we reserve all rights to pursue further legal remedies.
Sincerely,
Catherine Montgomery
CEO
daisyBill
DaisyBill provides content as an insightful service to its readers and clients. It does not offer legal advice and cannot guarantee the accuracy or suitability of its content for a particular purpose.