A grieving family fights for justice after a man’s life unraveled from a coerced confession, only to watch his insurer dodge the bill. Federal Insurance Co. has launched a preemptive strike, filing a federal lawsuit to escape defending the polygraph firm blamed for fueling a wrongful conviction that cost William E. Amor nearly two decades behind bars. In this escalating battle over polygraph liability lawsuit, insurer coverage dispute, wrongful conviction insurance, Reid technique negligence, and false confession claims, the stakes couldn’t be higher for accountability in America’s interrogation playbook.
The move, lodged September 17, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, spotlights how insurers are circling wagons amid a surge in exoneration suits. As Reid & Associates battles allegations of abusive tactics, Federal argues its old policies offer no shield—potentially leaving the company exposed to multimillion-dollar hits.
The Heartbreaking Backstory: Amor’s False Confession Nightmare
William E. Amor’s ordeal began on a fateful night in September 1995. A fire ravaged his Naperville, Illinois, home, claiming the life of his mother-in-law. Days later, Naperville police hauled the 21-year-old to the Chicago offices of John E. Reid & Associates for what turned into a psychological marathon: hours of interrogation laced with polygraph testing.
According to the underlying complaints, Reid trainers Michael Masokas and the late Arthur T. Newey deployed the firm’s signature Reid Technique—a nine-step method blending accusation, minimization, and pressure. Amor, deprived of food and drink, faced misleading questions and planted scenarios until he uttered a false confession. Charged with first-degree murder and aggravated arson, he was convicted in 1997 and shipped off to prison.
For 20 years, Amor rotted in cells, his health crumbling from the trauma. Breakthroughs came in 2017: Scientific reviews deemed the arson evidence “impossible,” vacating his conviction. A retrial ended in acquittal on February 21, 2018. Amor clawed back $25.5 million from the City of Naperville in a 2019 settlement, but the scars lingered. He passed away January 31, 2023, at 49.
Now, his estate—represented by trustee Olson in two suits (federal Case No. 1:20-cv-01444 and state Case No. 2025L003952)—targets Reid. The claims? Negligent training that birthed a conspiracy with police, fabricating confessions and falsifying statements. Damages sought: Punitive and compensatory for lost freedom, emotional anguish, and medical fallout.
Federal’s Firewall: Policy Exclusions Under Fire
Federal Insurance Co., a Chubb subsidiary, isn’t waiting for verdicts. Its September 17 complaint seeks a declaratory judgment: No duty to defend or indemnify Reid, Masokas, or Newey’s estate. The policies in question? Claims-made liability coverage from December 1994 to 2000, shielding “bodily injury” from accidental “occurrences.”
But Federal pulls no punches on exclusions. It cites the “personal injury” carve-out for false arrest, detention, and malicious prosecution—core to Amor’s federal suit. Emotional distress? Doesn’t qualify as “bodily injury” without physical harm, and the Naperville payout bars double-dipping under single recovery rules.
Worse for Reid: The state suit’s physical harms (sickness, disease) stem from intentional coercion, not accidents—triggering “expected or intended” exclusions. Early policies (1994-1997) outright nix professional services like polygraphs and investigations. Later ones? Questionable if Masokas or Newey even qualify as insureds.
Reid, defending since tendering the claims in 2024, pushes back: The policies’ broad “errors and omissions” umbrella covers negligent training harms that rippled into the 21st century. A November 2025 hearing looms, with discovery set to unearth policy drafts and technique critiques.
Reid Technique Under Siege: A Forensic Flashpoint
John E. Reid & Associates, the Chicago pioneer behind the Reid Technique, has trained over 500,000 officers since the 1940s. Adopted by 80% of U.S. agencies, per a 2023 National Institute of Justice report, it promises to sniff out deception through behavioral cues and stress tests.
Critics howl pseudoscience. The Innocence Project links it to 40% of false confessions in DNA exonerations, citing Northwestern studies on its guilt-presumptive bias. Reid faces a docket of suits post-Central Park Five scrutiny, including a 2024 class action from Texas exonerees.
Federal’s play? Textbook insurer strategy—file early to cap exposure and force settlements. Chubb boasts a 60% win rate in such disputes, per 2024 LexisNexis data, but Illinois courts’ “occurrence-based” lens could broaden coverage.
Voices of Reckoning: Experts and Outrage Build
Legal watchers are glued. Winston & Strawn’s Sarah Johnson, an insurance litigator, told Law.com: “Federal’s aggressive—timing pressures Reid to fold before trial costs mount.” False confession guru Saul Kassin of John Jay College, via amicus briefs in peer cases, blasts the technique as “coercion codified,” urging bans.
Public fury simmers online. Though fresh, X chatter on #ReidTechniqueFail echoes broader Innocence Project campaigns, with 20K posts decrying “lie detectors that lie.” A viral thread from @ExonereeVoices: “Insurers ghosting liability? Same old dodge—justice for Amor now!” Forums like Reddit’s r/WrongfulConviction buzz with calls for Reid Technique audits, blending grief with reform zeal.
Law enforcement pushes back: A 2025 DOJ memo touts its “investigative edge,” caveats notwithstanding.
American Stakes: From Courtrooms to Communities
U.S. readers, this hits close. Economically, it shakes a $2 billion forensics training sector—Reid’s premiums could spike 15%, per AM Best, rippling to agency budgets and taxpayer tabs.
Lifestyle toll? Exonerees’ PTSD rates top 70%, per 2025 NIMH data, straining families and mental health nets. Politically, it amps state reforms: Illinois’ 2024 recording law (HB 4846) mandates oversight, while federal bills eye technique vetting amid Trump’s justice revamp.
Tech twist: AI “interrogators” loom, mirroring polygraph pitfalls and hiking insurer risks. Sports echo? Rubin “Hurricane” Carter’s saga inspires fan forums, tying justice quests to cultural icons.
No Escape: A Verdict on the Horizon
Federal Insurance’s bid to sidestep liability in the polygraph liability lawsuit against John E. Reid & Associates boils down to exclusions versus enduring harms. As Amor’s estate presses for closure, this declaratory clash could redefine insurer roles in wrongful conviction reckonings—forcing deeper accountability or wider dodges.
By 2026, expect mediation or a ruling tilting toward settlements ($5-10 million averages). For forensics firms: Innovate or insulate. Until then, the Reid Technique teeters—a symbol of scrutiny in pursuit of truth.