Here is a 2024 opinion from the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, wherein the insurance company, State Farm Lloyd’s, is refusing to pay the claim because State Farm believes the insured cause the fire on purpose in an effort to collect insurance monies. The opinion is styled, Raynelle King v. State Farm Lloyds.
On November 18, 2018, a late-night fire broke out in King’s home, and King filed a claim with State Farm. Arson investigators later found gasoline residue in debris samples from the room where the fire started. King was apparently in considerable financial distress at the time. As a result, State Farm denied King’s claim alleging that she had set fire to her own home. King sued, arguing that State Farm wrongfully denied her claim. State Farm has now filed a Motion for Summary Judgment. State Farm asks the Court to find that King committed arson and therefore cannot recover under the policy. After careful review, the Court finds that there is a genuine dispute of material fact, and State Farm is not entitled to judgment as a matter of law. The Court, therefore, DENIES the Motion.
On the night of November 18, 2018, Plaintiff King’s house caught fire, which caused extensive damage. At the time, King held a homeowner’s insurance policy from State Farm that covered fire loss, among other things. King submitted a claim for damages under her policy, which State Farm denied. King sued State Farm for failing to pay out her insurance policy. She asserts various causes of action under