Direct Line established high levels of recall among consumers. In September 2014, the brand worked with Saatchi and Saatchi to relaunch its advertising, using Hollywood actor Harvey Keitel as Winston Wolfe, a Mafia style 'fixer'. The company had one million customers after eight years. The company expanded with a series of new offshoots in the 1990s. In 1995, a Spanish offshoot, Linea Direct, started offering motor insurance in Spain. They expanded into travel insurance in 1996, pet insurance in 1997, and Direct Line Breakdown started offering breakdown insurance in 1998. Their non general insurance products umbrella Direct Line Financial services launched their
Direct-action lawsuit Direct-action lawsuit A direct-action lawsuit is brought directly against an insurance company for a wrong done by the insured. In a lawsuit that is not direct-action, a plaintiff brings the claim against the insured, who actually wronged the plaintiff. Once judgment has been rendered against the defendant, there are a number of ways that the insurance company (assuming the defendant is insured) might later be made to pay the victorious plaintiff. If the plaintiff wants to avoid the extra time and process required to eventually be paid by the insurance company, the action can be brought directly against the insurance