<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4D2Rur_0wCs3OXD00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4D2Rur_0wCs3OXD00" width="600" height="328" ><figcaption>HondaJet connected to Michael Avenatti seized at the Santa Barbara Airport (courtesy)</figcaption></figure>A Santa Barbara jury has ordered insurer Starr Indemnity &amp; Liability Company to pay $19 million in damages for the wrongful denial of a claim related to the seizure of Michael Avenatti’s jet. The verdict was delivered last week, marking a victory for Passport 420, the ownership partner of the jet and plaintiff in the case.The legal dispute centered around the 2019 seizure of a HondaJet HA-420 at the Santa Barbara Airport. Avenatti, a figure once prominently in the public eye for representing Stormy Daniels in a lawsuit against then-President Donald Trump, is currently serving a 14-year federal prison sentence for misappropriating client settlement funds, which were used, among other purchases, to acquire the jet in 2017.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0R4GoH_0wCs3OXD00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0R4GoH_0wCs3OXD00" width="1108" height="1581" ><figcaption>Michael Avenatti (Photo:&nbsp;wikimedia)</figcaption></figure>Starr Indemnity had contended that since Avenatti financed his share of the jet with illicit funds, the insurance policy, which covered “physical loss” of the aircraft due to perils including “seizure,” was void. The policy, according to documents presented in court by attorneys Lawrence Conlan and Richard Lloyd of Cappello &amp; Noël, promised up to $10 million in coverage.The Santa Barbara jury, however, sided with the plaintiff, Passport 420, finding that Starr Indemnity acted in bad faith by denying the claim. Beyond compensating the $4 million purchase price of the jet, the jury awarded an additional $15 million in damages for the insurer’s conduct.Conlan explained that “after years of textbook insurance company delays and waste, we proved that Starr was wrong to deny responsibility to Passport. The message is clear – for those who try to hide their own misconduct behind Avenatti’s bad acts, there is no shelter.”Lloyd added, “Starr was dead wrong to argue that the claim was not covered and that it acted reasonably. As we’ve said all along, and the jury agreed, Starr must pay.”This case not only highlights the complexities of dealing with insurance claims involving high-profile individuals but also sets a significant precedent regarding insurers’ accountability in claims processing and the importance of acting in good faith.<blockquote>Lawyer Michael Avenatti Sued in Santa BarbaraJury Finds Avenatti To Blame in Decade-Old Fight Over Unpaid Attorney Fees</blockquote></div></body>

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Santa Barbara Jury Orders Insurer to Pay $19 Million in Avenatti Jet Case

A Santa Barbara jury has ordered insurer Starr Indemnity & Liability Company to pay $19 million in damages for the wrongful denial of a claim related to the seizure of Michael Avenatti’s jet. The verdict was delivered last week, marking a victory for Passport 420, the ownership partner of the jet and plaintiff in the case.