Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company sues Chandler Durbin, Christian Cox, and Blake C. Stuckey for insurance coverage dispute

The lawsuit filed in the Appellate Court of Illinois, Fifth District, with the court case ID 19-MR-5 and dated March 15, 2024, involves Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company of Iowa (plaintiff) against Chandler Durbin, Christian Cox, and Blake C. Stuckey (defendants). The presiding judge was Honorable Joel J.C. Powless. The plaintiff sought a declaratory judgment regarding an insurance coverage dispute under a farm personal liability policy issued to the parents of Durbin and Cox.
The underlying lawsuit was filed by Blake Stuckey on February 14, 2019, against Chandler Durbin, Jordan Wilson, John Flowers, and Christian Cox for injuries sustained on April 7, 2018. The complaint alleged battery, assault, civil conspiracy to commit battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and false imprisonment committed by the defendants. Damages were detailed as repeated physical assault resulting in injury to Stuckey.
Durbin and Cox sought defense from their insurance policy with Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company. However, on April 1, 2019, Farmers filed a complaint seeking a declaration that it did not owe Durbin and Cox a duty to defend the underlying lawsuit. The case saw several amendments and motions before reaching the appellate court.
Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company is seeking a judgment declaring that it does not owe Durbin and Cox a duty to defend them in the underlying lawsuit.