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A Tippecanoe County woman is suing State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. after suffering more than $500,000 worth of damages in an automobile crash.
On Tuesday, plaintiff Lilly A. Keifer filed a suit with the Tippecanoe Circuit Court. She is requesting the court order the insurance company to pay at least $250,000. She is also requesting a trial by jury in addition to punitive and other damages including pre-judgment interest, her costs for filing the lawsuit, attorney’s fees and all other relief the court deems proper.
According to the suit, Keifer suffered a traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, and adjustment disorder with anxiety after the Jeep Wrangler she was driving on U.S. 231 was struck by a Ford pickup that ran a stoplight at the intersection of U.S. 52 during the early- morning hours of Nov. 12, 2024. Officers at the scene deemed the driver to be completely at fault, according to the lawsuit.
The force of the crash caused the Jeep to leave the roadway and overturn, leaving Keifer hanging upside down by her seatbelt until she could be extricated.
She argues State Farm breached its contract with her by refusing to pay out half of her $500,000 underinsured motorist coverage policy limit after accepting a $250,000 settlement from the other driver’s insurance company on July 6, 2026.
Kiefer’s counsel claims that because her injuries exceed $500,000 she qualifies as “underinsured,” and is therefore entitled to the $250,000 from her policy.
“The filing of a lawsuit does not substantiate the claims made within it,” said Tom Hartmann, a spokesman for State Farm. “State Farm is committed to handling each claim fairly and based on the terms of the policy. Because this matter is now in litigation, we will address the allegations through the appropriate legal process.”
Kiefer is represented by David J. Burton of Vaughan & Vaughan in Carmel.
The case is Lilly Kiefer v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
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