Florida Jury Rules State Farm Driver Owed $3 Million in Lawsuit

A middle school teacher in Florida has been award $3 million in damages after a jury found State Farm refused to live up to its contract on a 2008 car accident.

David Bowler sued State Farm for damages and medical costs after suffering a fractured neck and wrist in a Leigh High Acres, Fla., accident. The other driver in the crash, Randall Spivey reportedly had $25,000 in insurance coverage. But the lawsuit claimed that Bowler had over $2 million in uninsured motorist coverage that State Farm subsequently refused to pay.

State Farm said it was willing to negotiate a settlement for a lesser amount, but Bowler refused the offer and the insurer refused to pay.

After a Lee County trial that lasted four days, the jury ruled that State Farm had an obligation to pay Bowler for nearly $3 million for medical costs and pain and suffering stemming from the accident.