LOS ANGELES – A 78-year-old commercial property owner is suing Travelers Casualty Insurance Co. of America for elder abuse, alleging the company unjustly denied his claim requests for compensation after two 2024 thefts of copper wire and other items from his South Los Angeles building.
Julius Jay Lite’s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit also alleges breach of contract and of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, unfair business practices and breach of lease. He seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
A Travelers representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the suit brought Friday.
Lite owns a warehouse in the 100 block of West 131st St. Travelers issued a policy to Lite providing coverage for damage to personal property and related losses of business income caused by “sudden and accidental occurrences, including but not limited to, theft and vandalism damage,” the suit states.
During the first burglary last June 26, prowlers stole copper and destroyed two electrical panels and the air conditioners and stripped out all of the copper plumbing, the suit states. Intruders then stripped the property of its copper wiring and caused additional damage during the second burglary on Aug. 4, the suit further states.
Travelers initially assumed, without any evidence, that the two claims were fraudulent and repeatedly requested that Lite provide documentation that had little or no relevance, according to the suit, which further alleges that the insurer also demanded that Lite submit to a recorded statement and examination under oath.
Although Lite complied with all of Travelers’ demands during a lengthy claims review process, both claims were denied in February and denied the plaintiff’s request for reconsideration the next month, according to the suit.
Travelers’ denial of Lite’s claim “constitutes part of defendant’s overall scheme to reduce the cost of legitimate insurance claims,” the suit states.
