Javier A. Corea-Flores, et al. v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Company

CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Louisiana
DecidedFebruary 3, 2026
Docket3:24-cv-00744
StatusUnknown

This text of Javier A. Corea-Flores, et al. v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Company (Javier A. Corea-Flores, et al. v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Company) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Javier A. Corea-Flores, et al. v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, (W.D. La. 2026).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA MONROE DIVISION JAVIER A. COREA-FLORES, ET AL. CIV. ACTION NO. 3:24-00744

VERSUS MAG. JUDGE KAYLA D. MCCLUSKY STATE FARM FIRE AND CASUALTY COMPANY MEMORANDUM RULING Before the Court is a motion for partial summary judgment [doc. # 31] filed by Defendant State Farm Fire and Casualty Company. The motion is unopposed. For reasons set forth below, IT IS ORDERED, ADJUDGED, and DECREED that the motion is GRANTED. Background On April 5, 2024, Javier A. Corea-Flores (“Corea-Flores”) and Norma Mauricio (“Mauricio”) (collectively, “Plaintiffs”) d/b/a Mi Casa Grande (the “Restaurant”)1 filed the instant Petition for Damages against the Restaurant’s commercial business insurer, State Farm Fire and Casualty Company (“State Farm”), in the Fourth Judicial District Court for the Parish of Ouachita, State of Louisiana. (Petition [doc. # 1]). According to the Petition, as of April 6, 2023, Plaintiffs were operating the Restaurant from a building located at 3426 Cypress Street, Suite 7, West Monroe, Louisiana, which they had leased from Blanchard Grove Properties, L.L.C. Id., ¶ 2. On an unspecified date, but likely April 6, 2023, the Restaurant became engulfed in flames, resulting in the destruction of Plaintiffs’ “belongings” inside the Restaurant. Id., ¶ 3. At the time of the fire, Plaintiffs had a commercial insurance policy in effect with State

1 Alternatively spelled, at times, as Mi Casa Grandelo in the Petition and Mi Casa Grandeio on the Policy. See Petition and State Farm Policy (MSJ, Exh. A [doc. # 31-3]). Farm, and, therefore, they submitted a demand to State Farm for damages they sustained from the fire. See Petition, ¶¶ 2, 6. State Farm, however, denied coverage for the loss. Id., ¶ 7. Plaintiffs contend that State Farm’s denial of coverage was arbitrary and capricious in violation of Louisiana Revised Statute § 22:658.2 Id., ¶ 7. Each Plaintiff seeks damages for his or her respective lost property, loss of use, mental distress, and inconvenience, plus attorney’s fees stemming from State Farm’s arbitrary and capricious conduct. Id., ¶¶ 8-9. On June 3, 2024, State Farm removed the case to federal court on the basis of diversity jurisdiction, 28 U.S.C. § 1332. (Notice of Removal). On September 12, 2024, the parties filed their Rule 26(f) Case Management Report, stating that they consented to trial by magistrate

judge. (Rule 26(f) Case Mgmt. Report [doc. # 14]). Pursuant to the parties’ consent, the District Court referred the case to the undersigned Magistrate Judge to conduct all further proceedings and for entry of judgment. (Order of Reference [doc. # 15]). On June 25, 2025, the Court permitted Plaintiffs’ counsel to withdraw from the case and directed Plaintiffs either to enroll new counsel or to file a notice stating that they intended to represent themselves in this matter. [doc. #s 25-26]. When Plaintiffs failed to comply, the Court issued a show cause order, to which Plaintiffs eventually responded and confirmed that they intended to represent themselves. [doc. #s 27-29]. On August 15, 2025, the Court acknowledged Plaintiffs’ responses and reminded them that the April 9, 2025 scheduling order remained in effect, which included, among other deadlines, a discovery completion deadline of September 30, 2025, as well as a March 9, 2026 trial date. (Order [doc. # 30]). On November 14, 2025, State Farm filed the instant motion for summary judgment

2 By Act 2008, No. 415, § 1, effective Jan. 1, 2009, the Louisiana legislature renumbered § 22:658 to § 22:1892. Guillory v. Lee, 16 So.3d 1104, 1111 n.5 (La. 2009).

2 seeking dismissal of Plaintiffs’ claims for bad faith damages, penalties, and attorney’s fees under Louisiana Revised Statutes §§ 22:1892 and 22:1973.3 Plaintiffs did not file a response to the motion, and the time to do so is long past. See Notice of Motion Setting [doc. # 32] (setting response date for December 5, 2025). Accordingly, the motion is deemed unopposed. Id. Summary Judgment Standard Summary judgment is appropriate when the evidence before the court shows “that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” FED. R. CIV. P. 56(a). A fact is “material” if proof of its existence or nonexistence would affect the outcome of the lawsuit under applicable law in the case. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby,

Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248 (1986). A dispute about a material fact is “genuine” if the evidence is such that a reasonable fact finder could render a verdict for the nonmoving party. Id. “[A] party seeking summary judgment always bears the initial responsibility of informing the district court of the basis for its motion, and identifying those portions of ‘the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any,’ which it believes demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of material fact.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323 (1986) (quoting Anderson, 477 U.S. at 247). “The moving party may meet its burden to demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of material fact by pointing out that the record contains no support for the non-moving party’s claim.” Stahl v. Novartis Pharm. Corp., 283 F.3d 254, 263 (5th Cir. 2002). Thereafter, if the non-movant is unable to identify anything in the record to support its claim, summary judgment is appropriate.

3 While the motion alternatively purports to seek summary judgment based on the affirmative defense of arson, which precludes coverage under the Policy, the supporting memorandum only seeks dismissal of Plaintiffs’ claims under Louisiana Revised Statutes §§ 22:1892 and 22:1973. The Court will give effect to the relief requested in State Farm’s memorandum, which provides a more detailed and tailored analysis of the case. 3 Id. In evaluating the evidence tendered by the parties, the court must accept the evidence of the non-movant as credible and draw all justifiable inferences in its favor. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 255. While courts will “resolve factual controversies in favor of the non-moving party,” an actual controversy exists only “when both parties have submitted evidence of contradictory facts.” Little v. Liquid Air. Corp., 37 F.3d 1069, 1075 (5th Cir. 1994) (en banc). There can be no genuine dispute as to a material fact when a party fails “to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party’s case, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial.” Celotex Corp., 477 U.S. at 322-323. The non-moving party

may not rely merely on the allegations and conclusions contained within the pleadings; rather, the non-movant “must go beyond the pleadings and designate specific facts in the record showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Wallace v. Texas Tech Univ., 80 F.3d 1042, 1047 (5th Cir. 1996). The non-movant does not satisfy his burden merely by demonstrating some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts, by setting forth conclusory allegations and unsubstantiated assertions, or by presenting but a scintilla of evidence. Little, 37 F.3d at 1075 (citations omitted). Moreover, “summary judgment is appropriate in any case ‘where critical evidence is so weak or tenuous on an essential fact that it could not support a judgment in favor of the nonmovant.’” Little, 37 F.3d at 1075-1076 (citation omitted) (emphasis in original).

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Bluebook (online)
Javier A. Corea-Flores, et al. v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/javier-a-corea-flores-et-al-v-state-farm-fire-and-casualty-company-lawd-2026.