Insurer Loses First Federal Hurricane Laura Court Case

The first ever Hurricane Laura case heard by a federal court has ended in a decision against an insurance company and in favor of Joey Odem, the plaintiff who is the owner of a commercial property near Lake Charles’ Petro Point.

This case represents only the first one heard in a federal court from among more than 3,000 filings.

This was the first Hurricane Laura jury trial case, and it was not a win for the insurance company. The jury read its verdict at the Lafayette Federal Courthouse.

Though the Lake Charles Courthouse would have been the location where the case was heard in other circumstances, it continues to undergo repairs for the damage left behind by Hurricane Laura when it struck the area August 27, 2020.