Jamal v. Travelers Lloyds of Texas Ins. Co

In Jamal v. Travelers Lloyds of Texas Ins. Co. (S.D.Tex. 2000) 97 F. Supp.2d 800, an insured homeowner sued the WYO insurer alleging breach of contract, bad faith, and violations of the Texas Insurance Code. (Id. at p. 802.) The plaintiff sought to remand the case to state court, arguing "the NFIA does not preempt state law claims and any interpretation of the NFIA is, at best, tangential to the outcome of this case." (Ibid.) The court rejected this argument, concluding that "pursuant to statute, federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction over disputes arising under standard flood insurance policies, and, thus, jurisdiction is lacking in state court. . . . Hence, remand is not warranted." ( Id. at p. 806.)