Star Tribune's 'Unsettled' series named Pulitzer finalist

Two Star Tribune reporters were named Pulitzer Prize finalists on Monday in the investigative reporting category for a series of stories that exposed how companies purchase court-approved settlement funds from accident victims.

Jeffrey Meitrodt and Nicole Norfleet were selected as finalists for the four-part series "Unsettled," which detailed how companies persuaded victims of catastrophic and life-altering injuries to give up millions of dollars of guaranteed future payments for much smaller lump sums of cash.

The team analyzed more than 1,200 cases approved by Minnesota judges.

Pulitzer judges praised the "comprehensive and tenacious" reporting that exposed how financial service companies took advantage of accident victims across the country, often with judges' approval.

The project was years in the making, said Suki Dardarian, editor and senior vice president of the Star Tribune.

"Our team was dogged in reporting and editing the story in the face of great resistance from some in the financial services industry," she said.

The series sparked changes in the industry and lawmakers are working to strengthen protections. "That's true public-service journalism," Dardarian said.

Diane Seuss' collection "frank: sonnets," which was published in March, won the 2022 Pulitzer for poetry. "Yellow Rain," by Mai Der Vang and published by Graywolf in September was named a finalist.

Graywolf has now published four poetry collections in the last 10 years that went on to win a Pulitzer, all of which were edited by Jeff Shotts, executive editor and director of poetry.