On April 2, 2020, a California class action against State Farm Life Insurance Company was certified as a class by a federal court.  The life insurance product at issue is State Farm’s Universal Life Insurance Policy, Form 94030.

Plaintiff alleges that State Farm overcharged policyholders through cost of insurance and administrative charges within the policies, failed to reduce insurance charges despite improving expectations of future mortality, and committed conversion of policyholder money.

The case is Elizabeth A. Bally vs. State Farm Life Insurance Company and is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. The plaintiffs are represented by Miller Schirger and Stueve Siegel Hanson. A copy of Judge Charles R. Breyers Order granting class certification can be read <here>.

Miller Schirger has a successful record prosecuting class action cases alleging policy overcharges against the life insurance industry. Most recently, in June 2018, a jury awarded $34.3 million to State Farm Life Insurance policyholders at a class-action trial in Missouri. In May 2018, a California Court approved a $59.75 million nationwide class action settlement against John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.). In 2016, an Indiana Court granted final approval of a class action settlement valued at approximately $2.25 billion against The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company.