Billion Dollar Lawsuit Rejected by Jury

Shannon Weidemann

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A jury in Kentucky has ruled that in an insurance company's favor after a woman filed a lawsuit seeking more than $1 Billion in damages. The woman was suing Allsate because she believed they were taking too long to pay on a claim so she would accept a low amount. The insurance company maintained the woman's failure to provide documentation was the reason behind the slow moving insurance claim.

Geneva Hager, of Richmond, sought $950 million in punitive damages and $475 million for mental anguish she alleged to have suffered because Allstate purposefully dragged out her injury claim from a 1997 car accident for two years.

Siemienas said it was Hager who dragged out the company's evaluation process.

"We believed she (Hager) exaggerated her claims," Siemienas said. "She never provided us with the medical records we requested for two-and-a-half years."

The woman's attorney tried to use internal documents a consulting firm created for Allstate. The jury was not swayed by the evidence and came back with a verdict in less than an hour.