Jury Verdict Against Kansas City Life Insurance Company

After a two week trial, a Jackson County, Missouri jury returned a verdict for Stueve Siegel Hanson client, Perry Trout, in his suit against Kansas City Life Insurance Company. Stueve Siegel Hanson partners Patrick J. Stueve and Todd M. McGuire successfully tried the case. The jury's verdict was in favor of Trout on his breach of contract claim in the amount of $500,000. The jury's verdict was also in favor of Trout on KC Life's counterclaim. The Court subsequently awarded courts costs and prejudgment interest, bringing the total judgment to in excess of $650,000, which, when combined with the $1.4 million payment made by KC Life during the pendency of the litigation, resulted in a total recovery to Trout in excess of $2 million. Prior to trial, Stueve Siegel Hanson successfully opposed KC Life's efforts to compel the case to arbitration and secured favorable ruling from both the trial court and court of appeals in connection with those efforts.