The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a $2.3 million jury award in a Walsh County, North Dakota, fire case. Timothy and Sylvia Moore sued American Family Insurance after fire destroyed a vacant duplex they owned, saying the insurance company had wrongly blamed them.
A jury last year awarded the Moores $1.15 million for bad faith on the part of the insurance company in failing to settle the claim as well as $1.15 million in punitive damages and more than $48,000 for breach of contract.
American Family appealed on several grounds, including that it was not liable for bad faith and that there was juror misconduct. The appeals panel rejected the arguments.
