La. Commissioner Seeks to Extend Time to Sue Over Katrina/Rita Claims
Extending from one to two years the prescriptive period for policyholders. Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon has issued Advisory Letter 06-04 to the approximate 100 companies with homeowners insurance policies in Louisiana, requesting their cooperation in extending from one to two years the prescriptive period for … [Read more...]
Sisters Blew Whistle on Katrina Claims
Two "Insiders" were helping him build cases. Who are the moles? The question was like a parlor game for employees of State Farm Insurance Co. after Hurricane Katrina, one they nervously played during coffee breaks or in the parking lot after work. A prominent lawyer created a stir by announcing in March that two "insiders" were … [Read more...]
Katrina Victims Win Latest Court Battles
Must resume making housing-relief payments. Thousands of victims of Hurricane Katrina finally have some good news to celebrate: A U.S. District Court judge ruled yesterday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must resume making housing-relief payments to those displaced by the disaster. In handing down his decision, … [Read more...]
Jury: Punitive damages in Katrina case
Denying Their Claim. A jury on Thursday awarded $2.5 million in punitive damages to a couple who sued State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. for denying their claim after Hurricane Katrina, a decision that could benefit hundreds of other homeowners challenging insurers for refusing to cover billion of dollars in storm damage. A … [Read more...]
1st La. federal insurance trial to start
Jury Selection Is Set to Start. Jury selection is set to start today in the first trial for one of the several thousand lawsuits that Louisiana homeowners filed against their insurers in federal court after Hurricane Katrina. In their lawsuit against Allstate Indemnity Co., Lawrence Tomlinson and his wife, Elizabeth, accused the … [Read more...]
Judge OKs Katrina flood suit vs. Corps
Homes Were Flooded During Hurricane Katrina Can Sue the Army Corps of Engineers. Residents whose homes were flooded during Hurricane Katrina can sue the Army Corps of Engineers over claims the agency ignored warnings about defects in a nearby navigation channel, a federal judge ruled Friday. The ruling, one of the first … [Read more...]
Trial set for Katrina lawsuit against Allstate
Katrina Lawsuit Against Allstate. After Hurricane Katrina demolished Robert and Merryl Weiss' home, the couple were paid hundred of thousands of dollars by their insurance company. But they say it isn't enough. Jury selection was to start Monday in the Weisses' lawsuit against Allstate Insurance Co., only the second Katrina … [Read more...]
Settlement reached in Katrina lawsuit
Terms Were Not Disclosed. State Farm settled out of court with a Biloxi, Miss., couple whose lawsuit over Hurricane Katrina damage was scheduled to be tried next week in federal court, a lawyer for the homeowners said Tuesday. Terms were not disclosed. State Farm's settlement with John and Ann Untershine marks the fourth time this … [Read more...]
Regulator: State Farm will re-examine Katrina claims
State Farm Re-examine Katrina Claims. State Farm Will Re-Examine More Than 35,000 Policyholder Claims filed after Hurricane Katrina and "make millions of dollars available" for additional payments, Mississippi Insurance Commissioner George Dale said Monday. Dale said the agreement between his office and State Farm covers … [Read more...]
More than 200 victims of Hurricane Katrina had sued the insurer; terms of the deal weren’t disclosed
To Settle Out of Court With More Than 200 Residents. Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. has agreed to settle out of court with more than 200 residents of Mississippi's Gulf Coast who sued the insurer over Hurricane Katrina damage, a lawyer for the policyholders said. Terms of the mass settlement between the Columbus, Ohio-based … [Read more...]
Hurricane Katrina Appeal Could Affect Thousands of Insurance Claims
State Farm Adjustment Firm Settles with Katrina Victims in Civil RICO Lawsuit
Hurricane Katrina damage claims were denied. State Farm Insurance Company policy holders whose Hurricane Katrina damage claims were denied have reached a settlement with a firm that helped the company prepare damage adjustments. Under the terms of the settlement, claims against Forensic Analysis and Engineering Corp. will be dropped … [Read more...]
Hurricane Katrina Levee Failure Victims Seek Billions from Army Corps of Engineers
Claims have been filed against the Army Corps of Engineers Hurricane Katrina lawsuits filed against the Army Corps of Engineers could cost the Corps big. So far, just shy of a half million claims have been filed against the Army Corps of Engineers for the damages caused by the breeching of levees it maintained in New Orleans … [Read more...]
Louisiana Citizens Settles Hurricane Katrina, Rita Lawsuits
Hurricane Katrina, Rita Lawsuits. Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has agreed to pay $35 million to settle two class action lawsuits over its slow response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. The Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the state's insurer of last resort, voted yesterday to set aside funds to pay … [Read more...]
Hurricane Katrina Survivors Now Victims of Chinese Drywall
Chinese Drywall Has Turned Up in Homes Chinese drywall has turned up in homes that were rebuilt following Hurricane Katrina. According to the Associated Press, problems with Chinese drywall are forcing people in Mississippi and Louisiana to gut homes they only recently rebuilt. Hurricane Katrina was one of the factors that … [Read more...]
Witness Says State Farm Didn’t Thoroughly Investigate Katrina Claims
State Farm Did Not Bother to Thoroughly Investigate Property Damage. A woman who worked for State Farm on Hurricane Katrina claims has testified that the insurer did not bother to thoroughly investigate property damage for policyholders affected by the 2005 hurricane's storm surge. According to SunHerald.com, Kerri Rigsby said at the … [Read more...]
Settlement of MRGO Katrina Flooding Lawsuits Urged
Federal Government Is Being Pressured. The federal government is being pressured by a Louisiana lawmaker to settle lawsuits stemming from Hurricane Katrina flooding blamed on the U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers failure to maintian the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, also known as MRGO. In November, U.S. District Court Judge Stanwood … [Read more...]
Chinese Drywall Used in NOLA Homes Rebuilt By Charities After Katrina
NOLA Homes Rebuilt by Nonprofits Contain Chinese Drywall. Many of the homes rebuilt by nonprofits in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina contain Chinese drywall. According to a report on HeraldTribune.com, Habitat for Humanity used and distributed Chinese drywall made by Taishan Gypsum Co., that went into 600 Katrina homes. … [Read more...]
Government Must Pay for Flooding Damage Caused by Hurricane Katrina, Judge Rules
On Friday, a New Orleans judge ruled that the federal government is liable for flooding damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. The New York Times reports that Judge Susan G. Braden of the Untied States Court of Federal Claims in Washington honed in on a canal known as the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet (MR-GO) in her decision. The … [Read more...]
Toxic Trailers
Trailers Were Supposed To Be Helping People. S. O'BRIEN: First it was a struggle just to get a FEMA trailer after Hurricane Katrina. Well now there are 100,000 FEMA trailers out there and a new problem. Those trailers that were supposed to be helping people rebuild their lives might just be making them sick. PAUL STEWART, LIVED IN … [Read more...]
