$36,000,000 Santa Fe Jury Verdict
October 2023
Gauthier & Maier clients along with the wrongful death estate had to bring suit against State Farm for a 2017 auto accident that resulted in the death of a family member and injuries to a minor child. State Farm denied the claims stating the deceased family member was 100% at fault for the accident and ignored facts showing otherwise. At the same time, State Farm had issued a $1,000,000 insurance policy to the deceased family member prior to the accident that was approved by State Farm after the accident. Upon learning of the accident, State Farm then changed that policy to $25,000 in coverage and hid the original policy limits from their insureds. A Santa Fe jury awarded a total of $36,000,000 for the claims with a punitive damage award of $20,000,000 against State Farm. Attorneys Lauren Law Barela and Shane Maier represented the clients at trial with help from the entire firm.
Practice area(s): Personal Injury, Car / Auto Accident, Fraud, Insurance
Court: 1st Judicial District court
Lauren Law Barela
Attorney Lauren Law Barela is dedicated to representing her clients throughout the state of New Mexico. She focuses her practice on personal injury and wrongful death litigation, with a particular emphasis on assisting people who have been harmed by the negligence of other drivers in passenger and commercial vehicle accidents. Lauren Law Barela also handles cases involving premises liability and other negligence cases.
Lauren Law Barela graduated summa cum laude with a major in criminology and a minor in mathematics from The University of New Mexico's University Honors College in 2006. Lauren Law Barela graduated University of New Mexico School of Law and was awarded her Juris Doctor magna cum laude in 2011. While in law school, she received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in 2010 for ethics and legal research and writing. Lauren Law Barela was also given the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in 2011 for secured transactions and insurance law. She is admitted to practice before all New Mexico state courts. Since graduating from law school, Lauren Law Barela graduated from the renowned Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College in July 2019. Lauren Law Barela remains committed to her profession by actively participating in a number of legal organizations. Her memberships include the New Mexico Christian Legal Aid, the American Bar Association, the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association, and the State Bar of New Mexico.
