Case Poised to Impact Thousands of California Policyholders, Spotlighting State Insurance Protections for Families
SAN DIEGO, CA – A lawsuit filed against American General Life Insurance Company (AGLIC) is set to go to trial Monday, January 12, 2026 at 8:30am PT, before the Honorable Jinsook Ohta in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. The lawsuit, brought by Singleton Schreiber LLP on behalf of Michelle L. Moriarty.
The lawsuit alleges that AGLIC has systematically failed to comply with California Insurance Code requirements designed to protect policyholders from losing their life insurance coverage.
"The Moriarty family did everything right, and AGLIC's refusal to follow California law designed to protect vulnerable policyholders is unconscionable," said Michelle Meyers, partner at Singleton Schreiber LLP and lead counsel in the case. "These protections exist precisely to prevent families from losing coverage over a single missed payment, especially when the policyholder is ill or incapacitated."
In September 2012, Heron D. Moriarty purchased a $1 million term life insurance policy to protect his wife and three children. For nearly four years, Mr. Moriarty faithfully paid his premiums each month. In March 2016, a single monthly payment was returned unpaid while Mr. Moriarty was incapacitated. Despite California law requiring a 60-day grace period, 30-day written notice before any policy termination and the insured’s right to designate a third party to receive notice of a missed premium, AGLIC allegedly terminated the policy without providing these mandatory protections. On May 31, 2016, Mr. Moriarty unexpectedly died, leaving his family without the $1 million in benefits they had been paying for and relying upon.
When Mrs. Moriarty filed a claim for benefits after her husband's death, AGLIC denied payment, claiming the policy had lapsed despite the company's failure to provide the legally required protections. The lawsuit alleges that AGLIC has refused to comply with these consumer protection laws for all policies issued before January 1, 2013, affecting potentially thousands of California families.
The lawsuit seeks damages for breach of insurance contract.
Singleton Schreiber is a client-centered law firm, focusing on mass torts/multi-district litigation, fire litigation, personal injury/wrongful death, civil rights, environmental law, insurance bad faith, tribal law, and sex abuse/trafficking.
Home to the nation’s largest fire litigation practice, the firm has represented over 30,000 wildfire and explosion victims caused by utilities, government negligence, railroads, and corporate misconduct. Its nationally recognized team has played a leading role in high-profile cases including the 2025 Eaton Fire, 2025 Moss Landing Battery Fire, 2025 Esparto Fireworks Explosion, 2023 Maui Fires, and is also actively litigating wildfire cases throughout New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Oregon, and Washington.
They are also pursuing groundbreaking litigation against Tesla for misrepresenting their autopilot system, which recently resulted in a historic verdict. Additionally, the firm advocates for survivors of abuse involving hotel chains in California and Washington.
With deep experience in complex claims, the firm is committed to helping individuals, families, and communities recover and rebuild.
