Preview:

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF MARYLAND CATHERINE HOWELL, et al. Plaintiffs v. STATE FARM INSURANCE COMPANIES, et al. Defendants : : : : : : : Civil No. BEL-04-1494 MEMORANDUM This is a proposed class action by homeowners seeking benefits under Standard Flood Insurance Policies (SFIPs) issued by private insurers participating in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The plaintiffs are nine Maryland residents1 whose homes were damaged by flooding during and immediately after Hurricane Isabel in September 2003. In the wake of the storm, the plaintiffs filed claims with their respective insurers to rehabilitate their homes. Each of their claims was ultimately settled for an amount below the policy limit, but in the full amount claimed. The plaintiffs now contend that the defendant insurance companies breached their contractual obligations by coercing or misleading them into filing proofs of loss that did not adequately reflect the true extent of the damage to their properties.2 All nine defendants have moved for summary judgment. According to the defendants, the plaintiffs are barred from recovery because they failed to comply with a central and mandatory

The plaintiffs are Catherine Howell, Wayne Blackmon, Michael Rhea, Russlyn Dodson, Kathryn Smith, Frederick Kotrla, Henry Hale, Robert Valentin, and Al Garner. Each plaintiff has sued only that company that issued his or her SFIP. See Pl.'s Consolidated Opp. to Def.'s Motion to Dismiss, Docket No. 43, at 42. -12

1



Download Catherine Howell, et al. v. State Farm Ins. Co., et al. (REVISED).pdf

Maryland Law