Rigsby v. State Farm Fire & Casualty Co.

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Plaintiffs filed a qui tam action under the False Claims Act (FCA), 31 U.S.C. 3729 et seq., claiming that State Farm submitted false claims to the government for payment on flood policies arising out of damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. On appeal, plaintiffs primarily challenged the district court's discovery ruling and State Farm principally challenged the jury verdict. The court concluded that the district court's denial of plaintiffs' request for additional discovery after the verdict in their favor was an abuse of discretion because it affected plaintiffs' substantial rights and therefore, the court reversed the district court’s decision. However, the court affirmed the district court’s decisions with respect to the seal violations, subject matter jurisdiction, and State Farm’s motion for judgment as a matter of law. The court remanded for further proceedings. View "Rigsby v. State Farm Fire & Casualty Co." on Justia Law