For diversity jurisdiction purposes, the amount in controversy in this policyholder’s declaratory relief action was the face amount of the life insurance policy since the policyholder sought a declaration that the policy was still in force and not terminated as the defendant claimed. Lesser amounts might be in controversy if the insurer had sued for overdue premiums or the policyholder had sued for accrued benefits. But here the dispute was whether the policy still existed at all.
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (Kleinfeld, J.; Bencivengo, J., sitting by designation, concurring); March 27, 2018; 2018 WL 1473627