MIAMI (April 2026) – A Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney litigation team secured a complete defense verdict in a federal court jury trial on behalf of client Kinsale Insurance Company in an insurance bad faith action. Stemming from a wrongful death claim filed in 2016, this result comes after over a decade of hard-fought litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts.
The plaintiff/insured sought over $5 million in damages, which resulted from a shooting in the insured's parking lot in 2015. A jury awarded the decedent's estate more than $3.3 million in 2019. The insured and shooting victim's estate alleged that the insurer acted in bad faith by failing to settle the claim within the insured's policy limits. The Southern District of Florida jury found that the insurer did not act in bad faith when handling the estate's claim on April 15, 2026.
"This case shows that it is worthwhile to fight alleged bad faith claims. When an insurer is potentially held liable for an excess verdict in an underlying defense case, insurers and risk managers need legal teams that understand how to navigate these cases. Even more so when the underlying claims involve catastrophic injuries or wrongful death," said Miranda Soto, Buchanan litigation shareholder and lead trial counsel to Kinsale. "These alleged bad faith cases can be won— even the cases involving over a decade of litigation. An excess verdict does not mean the insurer, claims professional, or risk manager acted in bad faith."
Led by Soto, the Buchanan team also included Dan Lazaro, Chance Lyman, and Michael Dutko. Clyde & Co. attorneys Sina Bahadoran, Johanna Cipau, and Aaron Warren worked with the Buchanan team as co-counsels.