Jury Awards $9.5 Million to Kansas City Life Insurance Policy Owners
Third successful class action trial win against the insurer, starting with the $28.4 million verdict in December 2022.
On Thursday September 21, 2023, a Jackson County, Missouri jury returned a verdict in favor of a class of 535 Kansas City Life Insurance Company policyholders represented by Stueve Siegel Hanson LLP and Miller Schirger LLC after less than three hours of deliberations.
Following a one-week trial, the jury awarded all damages sought for three separate breaches of the policy totaling $9.5 million. The judgment will be for $4.1 million to account for duplicative damages.
The class action, Sheldon v. Kansas City Life Insurance Company, was brought on behalf of current and former policy owners of Century II Variable Universal Life issued in the state of Missouri. It alleged that the insurer overcharged policyholders for their life insurance in three ways.
The substantial verdict follows verdicts in favor of policyholders in May 2023 and in December 2022.
“Three courts have found that Kansas City Life has breached its policies and three juries have awarded damages of over $35 million,” Patrick Stueve, lead trial counsel for the policyholders. “We are preparing for our fourth trial which will likely be in mid-2024.”
Stueve Siegel Hanson and Miller Schirger are prosecuting several other cases on behalf of life insurance policyholders alleged to have been overcharged. The firms have lawsuits against Kansas City Life Insurance Company pending in California and Maryland.
To learn more, visit litigation.stuevesiegel.com/life-insurance-litigation.
