Here is an email I received today, but haven't talked to anyone in that area about it yet. The Times-Picayune newspaper reported this morning that a Plaquemines Parish Judge has ordered the Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. to pay a local couple the full value of their homeowners policy after their house was destroyed by a combination of flooding and wind damage from Hurricane Katrina. Judge William Roe on Thursday ordered the state-sponsored insurer of last resort to pay Susan and Billy Langston Sr. $100,225, the full value of their homeowners structure policy with Citizens. In the Langston case, the plaintiffs' expert said 80 percent of the damage came from wind. Citizens says at least 30 percent of the damage came from wind. The Langstons' attorney said that no matter what the actual amount, both estimates attest that the wind damage was significant. The Langstons did have flood insurance, but the combined value of their flood and wind payments do not cover the loss of their home, which was obliterated from its slab. We are working to obtain a copy of the opinion and will keep you updated. It is expected that the Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. will appeal the ruling. Other rulings on the Valued Policy Law are also expected to be appealed in both the federal and state court systems. It will also be interesting on how the Allstate case that is in trial in federal court in LA comes out this week |