Eighth Circuit Affirms $34.3M Jury Verdict Against State Farm Life Insurance Co.
For information about our ongoing investigations and pursuit of claims against life insurance companies for alleged misconduct related to overcharges within permanent life insurance policies – sometimes referred to as universal, variable universal, whole life, variable whole life or flexible premium policies – and to contact our team if you believe you are being overcharged by your life insurance company, click here.
Michael Vogt vs. State Farm Life Insurance Company $34.3 million Jury Verdict Affirmed
Stueve Siegel Hanson LLP and Miller Schirger LLC secured a victory at the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals with affirmance of a $34.3 million jury verdict against State Farm Life Insurance Co. for overcharges on life insurance policies in the case of Michael Vogt vs. State Farm Life Insurance Company.
The class action was filed in June 2016, in the Western District of Missouri by Michael Vogt and other individuals who owned universal life insurance policy form 94030 issued by State Farm. The lawsuit alleged that State Farm breached the terms of the policies by overcharging policyholders through cost of insurance provisions causing policies to lose value and in many cases lapse, leaving many without life insurance.
Trial commenced June 1, 2018 and the jury awarded $34.3 million to approximately 24,000 Missouri policyholders. State Farm appealed to the Eighth Circuit asserting various errors and Vogt cross appealed. Vogt prevailed on all issues.
“We’re very happy with the court’s decision to affirm the trial court,” said John Schirger, co-lead counsel and founding partner of Miller Schirger LLC. “We hope that these policyholders, who for decades were unknowingly overcharged, will soon finally receive payments.”
“Many insurers define the cost of their insurance fees by delineating factors outside typically considered mortality elements and in this case the costs of charges weren’t outlined with specificity,” said Norman Siegel, co-lead counsel and founding partner of Stueve Siegel Hanson LLP. “The court’s decision affirms that, simply put – if you want to charge for it, you need to put it in the contract.”
Stueve Siegel Hanson LLP and Miller Schirger LLC are currently representing clients in similar cases in California, Texas and the State of Washington, and are investigating matters involving life insurance policies nationwide. The firms have a successful record prosecuting class action cases alleging policy overcharges against the life insurance industry, having collected over $2.25 billion in client value over the last five years against some of the nation’s largest life insurance companies.
