The name of the case/the issue being discussed
Norman J. BROUSSARD; Genevieve Broussard, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. STATE FARM FIRE AND CASUALTY COMPANY, Defendant-Appellant.
The facts of the case/facts surrounding the issue
In August, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the United States causing great damage. The Broussard’s lost their home. It was reduced to a slab (Mitchell, 2007). Their insurer, State Farm, refused to pay for the damages saying “their homeowner policies cover damage from wind but not from water, and that the policies exclude damage that could have been caused by a combination of both.”
What stage of the proceedings the case, legislation, issue is at (pretrial, trial, appellate, hearings before Congress, etc.)
This lawsuit has been settled. The jury awarded $2.5 million in punitive damages. The judge added an additional $223,292 in damage. State Farm Insurance plans to appeal.
What are the issues related to this case/what do the interested parties want to see happen
The Broussard’s lost their home is this tragedy and were hopeful that their insurance would provide some relief in rebuilding their lives. The insurance company did not plan to provide that
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Using expert evidence, they feel they have proof to substantiate the primary cause was the water. They would like to shift the burden of proof back to the homeowners. They would also like to appeal and have the damages reversed.
Why this case/issue was of interest to you, the student
The writer's interest was due to being a homeowner. The writer also has had State Farm insurance since 1975. Every claim submitted has been paid without any problem. Having been in two tornados coupled with the other items of interest brought the attention to this particular lawsuit.
What you think the outcome of this case/issue should be and