Recusal Sought for Judge Presiding Over Katrina Lawsuit

By Jennifer Griffith

Published on February 23, 2007

The insurance company is facing a pending class action lawsuit filed by policyholder Judy Guice who intends to represent homeowners whose houses were destroyed during hurricane Katrina.

In her pending case, Guice is requesting that Senter apply his recent ruling in the Broussard case to these policyholders.

Senter ruled in the Broussard case that State Farm failed to show that their policy did not cover water damage caused by the hurricane. He awarded the amount of the policy limit to the Broussards—just over $200,000. In punitive damages, the jury awarded the Broussards $2.5 million which Senter later reduced to $1 million.

The State Farm motion states that Chief Magistrate Judge John M. Roper is one of the potential members of the class action suit that Guice is hoping to establish. Two of Roper’s clerks have filed motions requesting that Senter certify the Guice case for class action.

Terry Brown, another potential member of the suit, recently sued Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. over damages caused by Katrina.

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