The city of Girard filed a civil lawsuit Tuesday against the companies and individuals responsible for managing its employee health plan.

The city filed the complaint with the Trumbull County Common Pleas Court. The lawsuit names WJL Administrative Services LLC, Deborah A. Lovell, Health Plan Administrators LLC, and Pamela S. Priddy as defendants.

The city alleges the defendants failed to process medical claims correctly. According to the complaint, the city contracted with these third-party administrators to manage its self-funded health plan. The city claims the companies did not follow an agreement to pay insurance claims after the contract ended.

The alleged failure left the city with more than $200,000 in unpaid medical bills, according to the lawsuit. City officials also stated that some employees had to pay for medical costs out of their own pockets because of the errors.

The lawsuit includes allegations of breach of contract, negligence, and civil theft. The city is asking for money to cover the losses and a court order to fix the issues.

Mayor Mark Zuppo said the city is taking legal action to protect the financial security of its workers. He said the actions described in the lawsuit show a breakdown of responsibility.

21 News left a phone message and an email for Health Plan Administrators LLC seeking comment. Efforts to reach WJL Administrative Services LLC were unsuccessful because the company's phone is not working and its website is down.