Yates et al v. State Farm Fire & Casualty Company

Filing 98

ORDER granting 94 Motion to Seal Document 93 PROPOSED SEALED Exhibit. Signed by Magistrate Judge Kimberly A. Swank on 1/31/2017. (Foell, S.)

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA
SOUTHERN DIVISION
No. 7:13-cv-00233-KS
JESSE G. YATES, III, and MELISSA
)
YATES
)
Plaintiffs. )
)
vs.
)
)
STATE FARM FIRE AND CASUALTY )
COMPANY, a Property & Casualty
)
)
Domestic Stock insurance company
incorporated in Illinois and wholly-owned )
)
by State Farm Mutual Automobile
)
Insurance Company, an Illinois Property
)
& Casualty Domestic Mutual insurance
)
company,
Defendant. )

ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANT’S
MOTION TO SEAL

Before the Court is Defendants’ Motion to Seal Defendant’s Trial Exhibit 41. For the
reasons stated in the Motion, the Court finds good cause to grant Defendants’ Motion to Seal.
Specifically, the Court finds that Defendant’s Trial Exhibit 41 is State Farm’s underwriting file
for the insurance policy at issue in this case and is comprised of State Farm’s confidential trade
secret information.

The harm posed to State Farm by the disclosure of that information

outweighs the public’s minimal interest in access to the type of information that would normally
be kept confidential. In addition, the Court finds that any less restrictive alternative would be
insufficient.

Therefore, the Court orders that Defendant’s Trial Exhibit 41 shall remain

permanently sealed. The courtroom need not be sealed during presentation of evidence concerning
Defendant's Trial Exhibit 41.
This the 31st day of January 2017.

Kimberly A. Swank
A.
United States Magistrate Judge
PPAB 3562275v1