State Farm Accused of Charging Inflated P&C Premiums During COVID-19 Pandemic

SAN FRANCISCO — The owner of a San Francisco coffee shop has sued State Farm Insurance Co. in federal court, accusing it of charging inflated property and casualty insurance premiums during the COVID-19 pandemic when many businesses were either closed or operating with reduced hours and employees.

In an Oct. 9 class action complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Boobuli’s LLC, which owns the Caffe California, says the insurer has improperly refused to either reduce premiums fairly or refund the excess premium reflecting the absent or decreased insured risks.

Boobuli’s purchased business …