$92.7M Louisiana Citizens Judgment Stands

The Louisiana Supreme Court won’t reconsider a $92.7 million judgment against Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. for handling claims too slowly after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. Citizens will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case, Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon said, acknowledging that will be an uphill struggle.

A state appeals court had reversed a Jefferson Parish judge’s decision in 2009 to award $5,000 apiece to more than 18,000 Citizens policyholders. But the Supreme Court overturned the appeals court’s ruling by a 4-3 vote – the same vote by which the court refused, without comment, to reconsider the case.