Branden D. Hargrove v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
June 29, 2026·25-2453·Per Curiam·By Aisha Johnson
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal of a civil action brought by a pro se appellant against an insurance company. The appellate panel found no reversible error in the lower court's rulings on subject matter jurisdiction and failure to state a claim.
Branden D. Hargrove filed a civil action in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina against State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company. The district court dismissed the case for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and for failure to state a claim, and subsequently denied Hargrove’s motion to alter the judgment under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure fifty-nine, subsection E.
The court’s reasoning
The panel reviewed the record and determined that the district court’s orders were correct. The court found no reversible error in the dismissal or the denial of the post-judgment motion.
What it means going forward
The decision upholds the dismissal of the insurance dispute, leaving the district court’s ruling that the case lacked subject matter jurisdiction and failed to state a claim in place.
