By Staff
The implications of Thursday's announcement that State Farm is being held liable for more than $223,000 in damage to a Biloxi, Miss. couple's home will be felt for years to come.
A U.S. District Judge in Gulfport, Miss. had previously ruled in favor of insurance companies in other property claims stemming from Hurricane Katrina.
Not this time.
Insurance companies in the Gulf Coast region have denied billions of dollars in claims for damage caused by the storm's surge.
Because of this ruling, homeowners in the region could find renewed hope of recovering some financial reward for their losses.
The original claim was that a tornado spawned by Hurricane Katrina had destroyed the Biloxi home. State Farm claimed that all of the damage to the home was caused by storm surge.
We applaud this ruling based on the fact that the people of the Gulf Coast have suffered enough. They need to find some relief for their situation and begin rebuilding their lives.
We are amazed to continually see pictures of this area and the devastation that still exists.
This is a small victory for the thousands who have been directly affected by Hurricane Katrina. But it is still a victory nonetheless.
We should be ashamed as Americans to have stood by and watched such a catastrophe take place in our own country.
Our government, at the local, state and national levels, failed the people of Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. They needed our help and we were slow to respond. They continue to ask for our help and we fail to come to their aid.
There have been heroes, who have made the trip south and aided in the recovery. But there is still much to do. We cannot forget about these people.
Thursday's court ruling certainly will make many stand up and take notice.
We don't want to have anyone run out of business. We have no desire to see State Farm or any other insurance company forced into paying billions of dollars in unwarranted claims.
But we do want to see them pay their fair share. These people trusted in them to protect their property from damage. It is time that they are held accountable to those who believed in them.
There have been many dark days in the Gulf Coast region since Hurricane Katrina struck. But Thursday was not one of those days. At least for one couple in Mississippi, there was a small glimmer of sunshine.