Here is a 2025 opinion from the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, with an interesting twist. The opinion is styled, Kimberly Russell v. State Farm Life Insurance Company.
The lawsuit alleges that State Farm took too long to investigate a claim for life insurance benefits. The unusual aspect of this case is that the insured’s filed a motion for summary judgment because of the alleged delays in processing the claim. It is usually the life insurer filing this type of motion.
On January 7, 2022, Davion D’Angelo Smith obtained a life insurance policy from State Farm. Following his passing on May 26, 2022, his mother and named beneficiary, Kimberly Russell, promptly filed a claim. In this suit, she alleges that State Farm engaged in prolonged delays and excessive documentation requests, beginning with a basic request on August 16, 2022. She also claims that despite her prompt compliance, State Farm repeatedly asked for additional or revised documents without clear justification. Over the next year, the company allegedly sent multiple “still processing” notices without providing substantive updates or raising specific concerns about coverage.