Marine awarded $3.5M from military insurer

[unhappycamper]

Marine awarded $3.5M from military insurer
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Apr 9, 2008 6:35:30 EDT

SAN DIEGO — Lawyers for a Marine captain deployed in Iraq say a San Diego jury has awarded their client $3.5 million in punitive damages from a military insurance company.

Capt. John Colombero sued after insurer USAA denied a 2004 claim for water damage to his house in Oceanside, Calif., south of the Marine Corps’ Camp Pendleton.

Tuesday’s verdict followed a civil trial in which jurors found the company unreasonably denied Colombero’s claim and stalled payment for two years while he was deployed repeatedly to Iraq.

Last week, the jury awarded Colombero $50,000 in emotional-distress damages, along with $84,000 for his house repairs.

A call by The Associated Press seeking comment from a USAA spokesman was not immediately returned.


Article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/04/ap_marine_insurance_040808/