GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) — A hearing over Hurricane Katrina insurance coverage that is expected to set a precedent for thousands of other claims is expected to wrap up this week.

Closing arguments could come as early this afternoon or tomorrow.

Yesterday, a judge heard that an insurance company's inspection of a Mississippi Gulf Coast couple's home after Hurricane Katrina was a "sham."

An attorney said Nationwide had already decided to deny the claim before inspecting the home.

But Duane Collins, a Nationwide adjuster who inspected the Pascagoula home of Paul and Julie Leonard, says that's not true.

He insisted he went into the December inspection with an open mind even though the couple already was suing the Columbus, Ohio-based insurer for denying most of their claim.

It is the first trial for the hundreds of lawsuits that have been filed by Gulf Coast homeowners challenging insurance companies over disputes about whether property damage was caused by the August 29th hurricane's powerful winds or by rising water.

Nationwide says its policies cover damage from wind but not from rising water, including storm surge.

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The Associated Press

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