COURT ORDERED RELEASE TO AUTOMOTIVE EDITORS:

TRIAL DATE SET IN NATIONWIDE CLASS ACTION AGAINST STATE FARM

MARION, IL -- (BW Automotive Wire) -- Feb. 27, 1998 -- If you've had vehicle repairs done under a State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company vehicle casualty insurance policy, a current class action lawsuit may affect your rights.

The case is pending in Williamson County, Illinois and is entitled Tammy Snider and Michael Avery, on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated, Plaintiffs, v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, Defendant, No. 97-L-114.

Trial has been scheduled to commence on February 2, 1999.

Class members are U.S. residents (except people residing in Arkansas and Tennessee) who were insured by a vehicle casualty insurance policy issued by State Farm and who made a claim for vehicle repairs under their policy and had non-factory-authorized and/or Non-OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) "crash parts" installed on their vehicles or received monetary compensation determined in relation to the cost of such parts. "Crash parts" are vehicle components typically repaired or replaced as a result of crash damage rather than as a result of normal vehicle usage. Excluded from the Class are employees of State Farm, its officers, its directors, its subsidiaries, or its affiliates and persons who resided or garaged their vehicles in Illinois, and whose Illinois insurance policies were issued/executed prior to April 16, 1994, and persons who resided in California and whose policies were issued/executed prior to September 26, 1996.

The Plaintiffs allege that State Farm violated the terms of its policies and breached its contract with its policyholders by usingÄ non-OEM "crash parts" to repair their vehicles. The Plaintiffs also allege violations of the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act and seek compensatory damages and an injunction against State Farm. State Farm denies Plaintiffs' allegations, any wrongdoing and that it is liable to the Plaintiffs. Plaintiffs will be required to prove the class claims at trial.

Class counsel will represent the interests of the class. Class counsel include G. Patrick Murphy of Marion, Illinois, Barrett Law Offices of Lexington, Mississippi, the Rose Law Firm of Little Rock, Arkansas, Much Shelist Freed Denenberg Ament Bell & Rubenstein, P.C. of Chicago, Illinois and Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, LLP of San Francisco, California. Class members will not be charged for class counsel's services. If a recovery is obtained for the class, class counsel may apply to the court for payment of their reasonable attorneys' fees and costs by State Farm or from any funds recovered before distribution of the net proceeds to the class.

Class members who wish to remain members of the class, need not do anything at this time. Class members will be bound by all orders and judgments of the court. Class members' claims will be terminated by the judgment in this case.

Class members may exclude themselves by sending a letter postmarked by June 5, 1998, expressly stating they wish to be excluded from the class, to the following address: Snider, et. al. v. State Farm, Plaintiffs' Class Counsel, P.O. Box 1500, Marion, Illinois 62959. Class members who exclude themselves from the class cannot participate in any recovery for the class, and will not be bound by any court orders or judgments

For more information, please write to the above address, call 1-888-299-9777 or see the web site at http://www.sfparts.com.

Class Members are asked not to contact the Court.

CONTACT (Press Only): Morris A. Ratner

Plaintiffs Class Counsel

Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, LLP

415-956-1000

415-956-1008 fax.

URL: http://www.sfparts.com

SOURCE: The Circuit Court for the First Judicial Circuit,

Williamson County, Illinois