• O Holy Night -Jacky Evancho and Vittorio Grigolo with The Italian Tenor https://youtu.be/-0Yjq_lGJrU?list=PLdDF3Z6pfbarn_BZKFghFh05PJFRQ5BKg
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  • USAA Punished for it Claims Handling

    Punitive Damages Should be Awarded With Caution and Within Narrow Limits

    Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/usaa-punished-claims-handling-barry-zalma-esq-cfe-nbp2c, see the full video at and at and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 4950 posts.

    Posted on December 19, 2024 by Barry Zalma

    DISPUTE OVER HURRICANE DAMAGES RESULTS IN MAJOR PUNITIVE DAMAGES FOR BAD FAITH

    Although he Mississippi Supreme Court recognized the need to only award punitive damages with caution and within narrow limits, it did not limit its award in accordance with that maxim. After almost 19 years of litigation the last appeal resolved the various disputes.
    FACTS

    Hurricane Katrina destroyed Paul and Sylvia Minor’s home on August 29, 2005. The Minors had a homeowner’s insurance policy with United Services Automobile Association (USAA). The USAA policy covered damage caused by wind but excluded damage caused by storm surge or flood. The Minors reported their loss with USAA, which resulted in a years-long coverage dispute. USAA ultimately issued payments for damage it concluded was caused by wind but not for damage it concluded was caused by storm surge or flood.

    The Minors maintained that they suffered a total loss caused by wind and demanded that USAA pay the policy limits. The case proceeded to trial in 2013, and the jury awarded the Minors $1,547,293.37 in compensatory damages.

    In United Services Automobile Association v. Estate Of Sylvia F. Minor, Kathryn Minor and Stephen Minor, No. 2023-CA-00049-SCT, Supreme Court of Mississippi, En Banc (December 5, 2024) resolved the bad faith claims.

    The issue was ultimately presented to a jury. The jury awarded the Minors $10,000,000 in punitive damages and $457,858.89 in extra-contractual damages (solely attorneys’ fees). USAA appealed, raising several assignments of error.

    Trial

    To establish its bad faith claim, the Minor Estate introduced various USAA documents, including (1) portions of the USAA underwriting file; (2) the confidential email regarding (a) the engineer’s March 2006 findings and (b) Bergstrom’s conclusion that USAA would be responsible for paying for all the windows and the contents in rooms with windows; and (3) USAA’s letter to the Minors in June 2006 indicating the majority of damage was due to flooding.

    Punitive Damages

    Punitive damages are considered an ‘extraordinary remedy’ and should be awarded ‘with caution and within narrow limits.'” The Supreme Court found that the evidence presented at trial demonstrates a type of conduct for which punitive damages were designed. The Minor Estate provided sufficient proof that USAA acted in bad faith, with complete disregard for the Estate’s rights.

    Whether The $10 Million Punitive Damages Award Should Be Reversed Or, Alternatively, Reduced.

    USAA alternatively argues that the $10 million verdict should be reduced because it claims that the damages award is a 22:1 ratio and therefore unconstitutionally disproportionate to the extra-contractual damages awarded ($457,858.89). USAA relies on State Farm Mutual Auto Insurance Co. v. Campbell, 538 U.S. 408, 425, 123 S.Ct. 1513, 1524, 155 L.Ed.2d 585 (2003), which states that “[s]ingle-digit multipliers are more likely to comport with due process.” USAA argued that a 1:1 ratio should apply to the damages award here.

    The Supreme Court found that punitive damages is less than seven times the amount of compensatory damages, which it concluded clearly falls within the guideline provided in Campbell.

    A punitive damages award not only serves as a deterrent, it also compensates the plaintiff for its public service in bringing the action. The Supreme Court found the trial court’s decision to force the Minor Estate to use nearly half of its award to pay attorneys’ fees does not adequately compensate the Estate for bringing this action against USAA for its bad faith conduct in handling the Minors’ insurance claim from 2005. Therefore, the Supreme Court concluded that the trial court erred by denying the Estate’s post-trial motion for attorneys’ fees.

    CONCLUSION

    In sum, the trial judge did not err as a matter of law by submitting the issue of punitive damages to jury, and the $10 million award of punitive damages is not unconstitutionally disproportionate. The Supreme Court affirmed the jury verdict awarding the Minor Estate $10 million in punitive damages and $457,858.89 in extra-contractual damages as to attorneys’ fees and reverse the judgment of the trial court and render attorneys’ fees on behalf of the Estate in the amount of $4,500,000, plus post-judgment interest at an annual rate of 4 percent from October 3, 2022, the date of judgment, until paid.

    ZALMA OPINION

    This case that dragged on through the courts of Mississippi for 19 years and resulted in compensatory damages based upon an interpretation finding coverage for the estate and that the insurer’s conduct was so egregious that the estate was entitled to tort damages plus punitive damages many times more than the compensatory damages. The Supreme Court astonishingly concluded that punitive damages were not limited to punishing the insurer but were payment to the estate for its action on behalf of everyone in the state of Mississippi and that they should not be required to pay their lawyers but that payment should come from the insurer as part of its punishment. The Supreme Court ignored the fact that as a result the estate must pay income taxes on the punishment damages since they are not designed to make the insured whole and punished each member and insured of USAA.

    In my opinion it’s time the courts of the USA do away with the tort of bad faith to avoid excessive judgments and allow contract disputes to be enlarged into a major amount of punishment for an insurer who rejected a claim based on interpretation of contract terms and the facts of a loss, like this case. In that regard see my book, It’s Time to Abolish The Tort of Bad Faith Available as a paperback here. Available as a Kindle book here.

    (c) 2024 Barry Zalma & ClaimSchool, Inc.

    Please tell your friends and colleagues about this blog and the videos and let them subscribe to the blog and the videos.

    Subscribe to my substack at https://barryzalma.substack.com/subscribe

    Go to X @bzalma; Go to Newsbreak.com https://www.newsbreak.com/@c/1653419?s=01; Go to Barry Zalma videos at Rumble.com at https://rumble.com/account/content?type=all; Go to Barry Zalma on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCysiZklEtxZsSF9DfC0Expg

    Go to the Insurance Claims Library – https://lnkd.in/gwEYk
    USAA Punished for it Claims Handling Punitive Damages Should be Awarded With Caution and Within Narrow Limits Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/usaa-punished-claims-handling-barry-zalma-esq-cfe-nbp2c, see the full video at and at and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 4950 posts. Posted on December 19, 2024 by Barry Zalma DISPUTE OVER HURRICANE DAMAGES RESULTS IN MAJOR PUNITIVE DAMAGES FOR BAD FAITH Although he Mississippi Supreme Court recognized the need to only award punitive damages with caution and within narrow limits, it did not limit its award in accordance with that maxim. After almost 19 years of litigation the last appeal resolved the various disputes. FACTS Hurricane Katrina destroyed Paul and Sylvia Minor’s home on August 29, 2005. The Minors had a homeowner’s insurance policy with United Services Automobile Association (USAA). The USAA policy covered damage caused by wind but excluded damage caused by storm surge or flood. The Minors reported their loss with USAA, which resulted in a years-long coverage dispute. USAA ultimately issued payments for damage it concluded was caused by wind but not for damage it concluded was caused by storm surge or flood. The Minors maintained that they suffered a total loss caused by wind and demanded that USAA pay the policy limits. The case proceeded to trial in 2013, and the jury awarded the Minors $1,547,293.37 in compensatory damages. In United Services Automobile Association v. Estate Of Sylvia F. Minor, Kathryn Minor and Stephen Minor, No. 2023-CA-00049-SCT, Supreme Court of Mississippi, En Banc (December 5, 2024) resolved the bad faith claims. The issue was ultimately presented to a jury. The jury awarded the Minors $10,000,000 in punitive damages and $457,858.89 in extra-contractual damages (solely attorneys’ fees). USAA appealed, raising several assignments of error. Trial To establish its bad faith claim, the Minor Estate introduced various USAA documents, including (1) portions of the USAA underwriting file; (2) the confidential email regarding (a) the engineer’s March 2006 findings and (b) Bergstrom’s conclusion that USAA would be responsible for paying for all the windows and the contents in rooms with windows; and (3) USAA’s letter to the Minors in June 2006 indicating the majority of damage was due to flooding. Punitive Damages Punitive damages are considered an ‘extraordinary remedy’ and should be awarded ‘with caution and within narrow limits.'” The Supreme Court found that the evidence presented at trial demonstrates a type of conduct for which punitive damages were designed. The Minor Estate provided sufficient proof that USAA acted in bad faith, with complete disregard for the Estate’s rights. Whether The $10 Million Punitive Damages Award Should Be Reversed Or, Alternatively, Reduced. USAA alternatively argues that the $10 million verdict should be reduced because it claims that the damages award is a 22:1 ratio and therefore unconstitutionally disproportionate to the extra-contractual damages awarded ($457,858.89). USAA relies on State Farm Mutual Auto Insurance Co. v. Campbell, 538 U.S. 408, 425, 123 S.Ct. 1513, 1524, 155 L.Ed.2d 585 (2003), which states that “[s]ingle-digit multipliers are more likely to comport with due process.” USAA argued that a 1:1 ratio should apply to the damages award here. The Supreme Court found that punitive damages is less than seven times the amount of compensatory damages, which it concluded clearly falls within the guideline provided in Campbell. A punitive damages award not only serves as a deterrent, it also compensates the plaintiff for its public service in bringing the action. The Supreme Court found the trial court’s decision to force the Minor Estate to use nearly half of its award to pay attorneys’ fees does not adequately compensate the Estate for bringing this action against USAA for its bad faith conduct in handling the Minors’ insurance claim from 2005. Therefore, the Supreme Court concluded that the trial court erred by denying the Estate’s post-trial motion for attorneys’ fees. CONCLUSION In sum, the trial judge did not err as a matter of law by submitting the issue of punitive damages to jury, and the $10 million award of punitive damages is not unconstitutionally disproportionate. The Supreme Court affirmed the jury verdict awarding the Minor Estate $10 million in punitive damages and $457,858.89 in extra-contractual damages as to attorneys’ fees and reverse the judgment of the trial court and render attorneys’ fees on behalf of the Estate in the amount of $4,500,000, plus post-judgment interest at an annual rate of 4 percent from October 3, 2022, the date of judgment, until paid. ZALMA OPINION This case that dragged on through the courts of Mississippi for 19 years and resulted in compensatory damages based upon an interpretation finding coverage for the estate and that the insurer’s conduct was so egregious that the estate was entitled to tort damages plus punitive damages many times more than the compensatory damages. The Supreme Court astonishingly concluded that punitive damages were not limited to punishing the insurer but were payment to the estate for its action on behalf of everyone in the state of Mississippi and that they should not be required to pay their lawyers but that payment should come from the insurer as part of its punishment. The Supreme Court ignored the fact that as a result the estate must pay income taxes on the punishment damages since they are not designed to make the insured whole and punished each member and insured of USAA. In my opinion it’s time the courts of the USA do away with the tort of bad faith to avoid excessive judgments and allow contract disputes to be enlarged into a major amount of punishment for an insurer who rejected a claim based on interpretation of contract terms and the facts of a loss, like this case. In that regard see my book, It’s Time to Abolish The Tort of Bad Faith Available as a paperback here. Available as a Kindle book here. (c) 2024 Barry Zalma & ClaimSchool, Inc. Please tell your friends and colleagues about this blog and the videos and let them subscribe to the blog and the videos. Subscribe to my substack at https://barryzalma.substack.com/subscribe Go to X @bzalma; Go to Newsbreak.com https://www.newsbreak.com/@c/1653419?s=01; Go to Barry Zalma videos at Rumble.com at https://rumble.com/account/content?type=all; Go to Barry Zalma on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCysiZklEtxZsSF9DfC0Expg Go to the Insurance Claims Library – https://lnkd.in/gwEYk
    WWW.LINKEDIN.COM
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  • Chairman Loudermilk Releases Second January 6, 2021 Report
    WASHINGTON - Today, Committee on House Administration's Subcommittee on Oversight Chairman Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) released an interim report on his findings on the events surrounding January 6, 2021, as well as his investigation into the politicization of the January 6th Select Committee. This report outlines criminal recommendations against former Representative Liz Cheney.

    TOP FINDINGS:
    1. Former Representative Liz Cheney colluded with “star witness” Cassidy Hutchinson without Hutchinson’s attorney’s knowledge.

    2. Former Representative Liz Cheney should be investigated for potential criminal witness tampering based on the new information about her communication.
    MORE>>>>>
    https://cha.house.gov/2024/12/chairman-loudermilk-releases-second-january-6-2021-report/1699d69d-80c8-4098-bc1a-4935524c4b76
    Chairman Loudermilk Releases Second January 6, 2021 Report WASHINGTON - Today, Committee on House Administration's Subcommittee on Oversight Chairman Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) released an interim report on his findings on the events surrounding January 6, 2021, as well as his investigation into the politicization of the January 6th Select Committee. This report outlines criminal recommendations against former Representative Liz Cheney. TOP FINDINGS: 1. Former Representative Liz Cheney colluded with “star witness” Cassidy Hutchinson without Hutchinson’s attorney’s knowledge. 2. Former Representative Liz Cheney should be investigated for potential criminal witness tampering based on the new information about her communication. MORE>>>>> https://cha.house.gov/2024/12/chairman-loudermilk-releases-second-january-6-2021-report/1699d69d-80c8-4098-bc1a-4935524c4b76
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  • American attorney Sydney Powell to the senators https://old.bitchute.com/video/96FmAfYRQOqj/
    American attorney Sydney Powell to the senators https://old.bitchute.com/video/96FmAfYRQOqj/
    OLD.BITCHUTE.COM
    American attorney Sydney Powell to the senators
    Source https://x.com/i/status/1867677751224029226 Expose the Globalists tyranny https://expose1984.com Proof that the pandemic was planned https://stopworldcontrol.com/ Lien vers le site web de balance la babouche archivé https://expose1984.…
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  • The U.S. government has been caught orchestrating regime change in Guatemala.
    “This is Ukraine 2.0,” says investigative journalist Ryan Matta. “The Guatemalan government had an election, and they believed that their election was rigged.”
    When Guatemala’s Attorney General took on the daunting task of investigating [ Election fraud alongside child trafficking ] involving NGOs, U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken stepped in—but not to support her efforts.
    Instead, Blinken flew to Guatemala and demanded that the Attorney General herself be investigated for “corruption.”
    https://vigilantnews.com/post/us-government-caught-orchestrating-another-regime-change/
    The U.S. government has been caught orchestrating regime change in Guatemala. “This is Ukraine 2.0,” says investigative journalist Ryan Matta. “The Guatemalan government had an election, and they believed that their election was rigged.” When Guatemala’s Attorney General took on the daunting task of investigating [ Election fraud alongside child trafficking ] involving NGOs, U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken stepped in—but not to support her efforts. Instead, Blinken flew to Guatemala and demanded that the Attorney General herself be investigated for “corruption.” https://vigilantnews.com/post/us-government-caught-orchestrating-another-regime-change/
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  • Derek Chauvin hires new attorney, plans to ask for convictions to be overturned
    https://alphanews.org/derek-chauvin-hires-new-attorney-plans-to-ask-for-convictions-to-be-overturned/

    Derek Chauvin’s new attorney indicated in court documents filed late last month that the former Minneapolis police officer plans to ask for his convictions to be overturned or, in the alternative, request a new trial.

    Chauvin was found guilty in April 2021 of second-degree manslaughter, second-degree murder, and third-degree murder in the May 2020 death of George Floyd. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his case in November 2023, ending his direct appeal.

    However, in a petition for post-conviction relief, Chauvin’s new attorney, Gregory Joseph, writes that “grounds for relief in this Motion establish actual innocence, ineffective assistance of counsel, discovery violations … and related violations of due process and a fair trial under the United States Constitution.”
    Derek Chauvin hires new attorney, plans to ask for convictions to be overturned https://alphanews.org/derek-chauvin-hires-new-attorney-plans-to-ask-for-convictions-to-be-overturned/ Derek Chauvin’s new attorney indicated in court documents filed late last month that the former Minneapolis police officer plans to ask for his convictions to be overturned or, in the alternative, request a new trial. Chauvin was found guilty in April 2021 of second-degree manslaughter, second-degree murder, and third-degree murder in the May 2020 death of George Floyd. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his case in November 2023, ending his direct appeal. However, in a petition for post-conviction relief, Chauvin’s new attorney, Gregory Joseph, writes that “grounds for relief in this Motion establish actual innocence, ineffective assistance of counsel, discovery violations … and related violations of due process and a fair trial under the United States Constitution.”
    ALPHANEWS.ORG
    Derek Chauvin hires new attorney, plans to ask for convictions to be overturned
    Derek Chauvin's new attorney indicated in court documents filed late last month that he plans to ask for his convictions to be overturned.
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  • https://deeprootsathome.com/list-of-attorneys-worldwide-now-available-for-lawsuits/
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    DEEPROOTSATHOME.COM
    List of Attorneys Worldwide Now Available for Vaccine Lawsuits
    Injured by a Pfizer mRNA vaccine? You can now bring lawsuits to every ingredient maker independently under adulterated product law.
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  • Litigation floodgates are now open for the mRNA (Covid-)vaccine-injured. Here is a current comprehensive list of all 90 attorneys around the world available for lawsuits against vaccine manufacturers.
    https://deeprootsathome.com/list-of-attorneys-worldwide-now-available-for-lawsuits/
    Litigation floodgates are now open for the mRNA (Covid-)vaccine-injured. Here is a current comprehensive list of all 90 attorneys around the world available for lawsuits against vaccine manufacturers. https://deeprootsathome.com/list-of-attorneys-worldwide-now-available-for-lawsuits/
    DEEPROOTSATHOME.COM
    List of Attorneys Worldwide Now Available for Vaccine Lawsuits
    Injured by a Pfizer mRNA vaccine? You can now bring lawsuits to every ingredient maker independently under adulterated product law.
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  • Soros backed District Attorney wouldn't pursue the death penalty.
    This piece of work will one day walk free.
    https://www.oann.com/newsroom/laken-rileys-killer-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-without-parole-following-guilty-verdict/
    God Bless America, God Save The Republic.
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    WWW.OANN.COM
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  • US Trustee Committed Bankruptcy Fraud in Infowars Auction ‘Cut and Dried,’ Constitutional Attorney Argues https://www.infowars.com/posts/us-trustee-committed-bankruptcy-fraud-in-infowars-auction-cut-and-dried-constitutional-attorney-argues
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