Reynolds-Stevens v. Bankers Specialty Ins

── Reynolds-Stevens v. Bankers Specialty Ins ── Court: Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Date: June 08, 2026 Category: Private Civil Diversity Case: 25-30548 Document: 55-1 Page: 1 Date Filed: 06/08/2026 United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ____________ United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit No. 25-30548 FILED June 8, 2026 ____________ Lyle W. Cayce Diana Reynolds-Stevens, Clerk Plaintiff—Appellant, versus Bankers Specialty Insurance Company, Defendant—Appellee. ______________________________ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana USDC No. 2:22-CV-4905 ______________________________ Before Richman, Southwick, and Willett, Circuit Judges. Per Curiam: * Three natural disasters in short succession damaged Diana Reynolds- Stevens’s home in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Dissatisfied with the handling of her claims, Reynolds-Stevens sued her insurance company, Bankers Specialty Insurance. The district court granted summary judgment to the insurer. We affirm. _____________________ * This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5. Case: 25-30548 Document: 55-1 Page: 2 Date Filed: 06/08/2026 No. 25-30548 I During the 2020 hurricane season, Hurricanes Laura and Delta made landfall in Louisiana within six weeks of each other. Hurricane Laura damaged Reynolds-Stevens’s home on August 27. The Laura-related damage had not been repaired when flooding from Hurricane Delta further damaged the home on October 9. Seven months later, in May of 2021, a flood caused additional damage. Bankers Specialty Insurance Company was Reynolds-Stevens’s insurance provider. Two separate insurance policies are relevant to this appeal: a Bankers Specialty homeowners policy covering the period between October 1, 2019 and October 1, 2020, and a National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy administered by Bankers Specialty covering the period between August 15, 2020 and August 15, 2021. Reynolds-Stevens voluntarily dismissed her claim against Bankers Specialty in its capacity as her homeowners insurer. Only her breach of contract claim against Bankers Specialty as her flood insurer (and related state-law claims) are at issue in this appeal. After Hurricane Laura, Reynolds-Stevens made a claim for wind- related damages under her homeowners policy. Shortly thereafter, the insurance company informed her that they would not be renewing the homeowner’s policy, which would expire on October 1. When Hurricane Delta struck on October 9, Reynolds-Stevens had only flood insurance. She filed a claim under the flood policy for damages stemming from Hurricane Delta. Bankers Specialty acknowledged the flood claim and assigned it to an independent adjuster. The adjuster inspected the property and determined that none of the Hurricane Laura wind damage had been repaired prior to the Hurricane Delta flood damage. Bankers Specialty informed Stevens- 2  Case: 25-30548 Document: 55-1 Page: 3 Date Filed: 06/08/2026 No. 25-30548 Reynolds that it