Agency Not Liable for Lapse in Windstorm Coverage for Home Destroyed by Hurricane, Miss. Appeals Court Affirms

JACKSON, Miss. — An insurance agency cannot be held liable for a lapse in windstorm coverage for a property that transferred to new owners because the previous owner failed to pay the premiums and the new owners failed to ensure that coverage was in place when the deed was transferred, the Mississippi Court of Appeals has ruled.

In a Dec. 15 opinion, the appellate court upheld the directed verdict and jury verdict rendered in favor of the insurance agency. The court further affirmed that the plaintiffs are not entitled to a new trial.

In 2004, Danny Jalanovich’s company, Anchor Realty …