A $1.2 million punitive damages lawsuit filed against State Farm by a former Missouri collision repair business owner is set to go to trial in December.

The Collision Company first filed suit in 2020, accusing the carrier of aggressively steering business away and causing a 40% loss in business from State Farm customers who decided not to proceed with repairs after speaking to their insurer.

A second amended complaint was filed in August 2024, bringing the damages sought down from $10 million and the named customers to five. The first iteration also named the Missouri director of insurance and three State Farm agents as defendants, who have since been removed.

Damage estimates for three customers named in the suit totaled $25,000, according to the latest complaint. Amounts weren’t determined for the other two customers because they didn’t return to finalize damage estimates.

Also in August, in response to the second amended complaint, State Farm requested a jury trial and either denied the allegations or stated it had insufficient information or knowledge to admit or deny the claims.

Shop owner Brad Buck previously told Repairer Driven News that a drastic loss of business from State Farm customers led him to close his business in July 2019.

The suit claims that the plaintiff’s “willful, intentional and outrageous” conduct in making false and misleading statements justifies the punitive damages sought.

An April 3 scheduling order states that all discovery in the case is to be completed by June 27, and all dispositive motions are to be filed by July 28.

The order also states that no later than one week before the pre-trial conference, attorneys discuss and “thoroughly exhaust all settlement possibilities.”

Orders from the court bar continuances of the trial.

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