Jury Awards $20 Million Dollars To Homeowners On Hurricane Damage Claims

According to BizJournals.com, a Miami federal court jury on Friday, February 13, 2009, awarded Buckley Towers homeowners $20 million in their claim against global insurance giant QBE Insurance, one of the largest condo insurers in Florida.

At issue was damage caused by Hurricane Wilma to the 40-year-old twin towers in North Miami.

During the nearly two weeks of testimony, lawyers for the mostly elderly condo residents claimed the storm’s winds caused structural joints to come loose. But, attorneys for the insurance company argued that the building’s age and homeowners’ failure to maintain the building caused the damage. The county has been threatening to condemn the building. Lawyers for the insurance company also argued that Hurricane Wilma’s winds in the area never grew strong enough to cause the kind of damage that was being claimed.

Katzman Garfinkel Rosenbaum, the law firm representing the homeowners, hailed Friday’s verdict as a major precedent in hurricane insurance cases.

As a trial lawyer, the impact of this verdict will not only affect those in Southern Florida, but will hopefully begin to set a precedent that homeowners insurance companies all over Florida, Texas, and Louisiana (all of which have been hard hit by hurricanes over the past several years) can no longer fraudulently delay and deny claims as they have been doing. It is clear that some of these insurance companies are using tactics that are reprehensible and can no longer be tolerated.

There are many other pending lawsuits against homeowner’s insurance companies for the same or similar types of fraudulent insurance conduct. I hope the juries in these upcoming cases make the same statement as this Miami jury made today.

Attorney Scott Edgett is a civil trial attorney with the Humphreys & Peterson Law Firm in Dallas, Texas. Mr. Edgett is licensed to practice law in Texas and Florida. Over the last decade, Mr. Edgett has emphasized on providing superior client representation in a professional and ethical manner, while experiencing high job satisfaction and trying to make the world a safer place for all. Mr. Edgett has been representing families and consumers whose lives have been devastated by reckless drivers, dangerous products, and other negligent tortfeasors. When a tragedy occurs because of the irresponsible behavior of a tortfeasor, an insurance company, or a corporation, Mr. Edgett and the firm of Humphreys & Peterson are advocates for the people and will help pursue justice for all. To speak directly to Attorney Scott Edgett, please feel free to contact him at (866) 259-0661, via email at Scott@TexasJusticeForAll.com, or visit our website at www.TexasJusticeForAll.com for further information regarding our law firm.