Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund
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Published: Wed, December 05, 2007 - 12:13 pm
Last Updated: Wed, December 05, 2007 - 12:15 pm
Last Updated: Wed, December 05, 2007 - 12:15 pm
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. asked a
federal appeals court today (Wednesday) to throw out a landmark $1
million punitive damage award to a Mississippi couple who sued the
insurer for refusing to cover Hurricane Katrina damage to their
home.
Today a three-judge panel from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals in New Orleans heard arguments from lawyers on both sides
of the case.
This is the first case among hundreds of Katrina insurance
lawsuits to be tried by a jury in Mississippi.
At the conclusion of January's trial, U.S. District Judge L.T.
Senter Jr. took part of the case out of jurors' hands and ruled
that State Farm was liable for $223,292 in wind damage to the
Biloxi home of Norman and Genevieve Broussard.
The jury subsequently awarded $2.5 million in punitive damages
to the Broussards, but Senter later reduced that amount to $1
million.
State Farm appealed the jury's verdict and several of the
judge's rulings.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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