Mississippi Judge Explains Punitive Damages Dismissal

A Mississippi judge says a Pascagoula couple’s lawsuit against its insurer in a Hurricane Katrina damage did not qualify for punitive damages.

On June 27, a Jackson County jury ruled that USAA insurance owed retired Navy Admiral James and his wife an additional $909,000 from their homeowners insurance policy for wind damage.

However, Circuit Judge Billy Bridges then ruled punitive damages would not be considered in the case.

In an order expanding on the punitive damages ruling, Bridges said the insurer, USAA, did not act with malice, gross negligence or fraud in handling the claim of the Lisanbys.

The Lisanbys have filed a motion asking Bridges to reconsider punitive damages.

Latest Comments

• July 12, 2008 at 3:28 am

  adjusterjoe says:

  Photos taken after the fact are useless. One neighbor actually stayed thru the entire storm and saw the damage occur. As an adjuster I understand that in most cases the storm ... read more
• July 12, 2008 at 12:59 pm

  Steve Taylor says:

  You should get all the facts also, another eyewitness neighbor testified very little wind damage prior to the water. His photographs and video were entered into evidence. I su... read more
• July 11, 2008 at 12:45 pm

  adjusterjoe says:

  You should probably be more knowledgeable prior to making inaccurate posts. There was an eyewitness neighbor who testified that the wind destroyed much of the dwelling and ap... read more