KEY WEST, Florida – A jury has found State Farm acted in bad faith by failing to settle a wrongful death claim.
The attorneys representing the plaintiff in the case – Saner v. State Farm – say the verdict marks a “significant moment in the ongoing legal scrutiny of insurance industry practices related to claim handling and fiduciary duties to policyholders” and “underscores growing judicial scrutiny of insurer conduct, especially when delay tactics and poor claims handling cross into bad faith. It also reinforces policyholder rights under Florida law at a time when insurance litigation is a front-and-center issue across the state.”
Fred A. Cunningham was the lead attorney on the case.
“This is an important case not only because it brings delayed justice to a deserving family,” he said. “But also because it sends a strong message to the insurance industry that no matter how they may try to spin bad faith actions, the courts are rapidly running out of patience.”
In 2021, Kira Lynn Saner was killed in a car crash caused by Jeffrey Schnierle, who was insured by State Farm at the time of the collision. Her husband, Russ Saner, acting as personal representative of her estate, made a wrongful death claim that could have been settled within policy limits. Attorney Sean Cleary from Miami represented Saner in this underlying action. Despite clear opportunities to resolve the claim, State Farm failed to do so.
The resulting delay exposed Schnierle’s estate to a significant excess judgment and forced the Saner family into prolonged litigation. The attorneys say this August 7 bad faith verdict confirms that State Farm did not act with the fairness and diligence the law requires of insurers.
Under Florida law, insurers have a duty to act in good faith toward their insureds by timely evaluating claims, communicating with claimants and settling within policy limits when appropriate. Failure to meet those obligations can give rise to a bad faith claim even if the insurer’s actions were calculated or hidden behind legal maneuvering.
“The jury saw through the delays and misdirection,” Cunningham said. “This verdict reaffirms that the public expects insurance companies to honor their promises — and that when they don’t, they can and will be held accountable.”
A separate proceeding will determine damages.
Cunningham was joined on the trial team by Gregory M. Yaffa, Matthew T. Christ and Halley B. Lewis IV of Rafferty Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa.
Case Number: 23-10069-CIV-MARTINEZ
