Jury Awards $4.1 Million to Kansas City Life Insurance Policy Owners
(September 2023) — Third successful class action trial win against the insurer, starting with the $28.4 million verdict in December 2022.
On Thursday September 21, 2023, a Jackson County, Missouri jury returned a verdict in favor of a class of 535 Kansas City Life Insurance Company policyholders represented by Schirger Feierabend LLC (f/k/a Miller Schirger LLC) and Stueve Siegel Hanson LLP after less than three hours of deliberations.
Following a one-week trial, the jury awarded all damages sought for three separate breaches of the policy totaling $9.5 million. The judgment will be for $4.1 million to account for duplicative damages.
The class action, Sheldon v. Kansas City Life Insurance Company, was brought on behalf of current and former policy owners of Century II Variable Universal Life issued in the state of Missouri. It alleged that the insurer overcharged policyholders for their life insurance in three ways.
The substantial verdict follows verdicts in favor of policyholders in May 2023 and in December 2022.
Schirger Feierabend and Stueve Siegel Hanson are prosecuting several other cases on behalf of life insurance policyholders alleged to have been overcharged. The firms have lawsuits against Kansas City Life Insurance Company pending in California and Maryland.