Cases › made things up › LR-2026-0079
State Farm lawyer sanctioned $999.99 for seven AI-fabricated case citations in Los Angeles insurance filings
Severity minor: The loss was a $999.99 fine against one lawyer in one case, with no third party data or systems touched.
Earliest source we hold 2026-09-15
A California judge fined a State Farm lawyer $999.99 after court filings included seven fake case citations linked to AI use.
Risk grouping: Misuse by its own users
| Who caused it | A person or organisation “The filing also linked the errors to her use of an AI program.” source |
|---|---|
| Intended or not | Not intended “According to the judge’s order, her filings included seven case citations that did not exist.” source |
| Before or after release | After release “The filing also linked the errors to her use of an AI program.” source |
| The AI's part | Caused it “According to the judge’s order, her filings included seven case citations that did not exist.” source |
The story
1 · What it was doingA lawyer for State Farm used an AI program to help prepare court filings in an insurance dispute over fire and storm damage to a Carson, California home.
2 · What went wrongThe AI-generated filings included seven case citations that did not exist, breaching the duty to cite only real, accurate legal authorities.
3 · What it reached or didThe fake citations appeared in nearly every motion in limine filed by State Farm and reached the Los Angeles Superior Court before the plaintiff's lawyers found them.
4 · How it was caughtThe plaintiff's lawyers found the problems with the citations, and plaintiff's attorney Eric Khodadian raised the issue with the court.
5 · What was doneJudge Elizabeth Bradley fined lawyer Jacquelene Robinson $999.99; Robinson apologized and accepted responsibility, and State Farm said it expects outside lawyers to follow high professional and ethical standards and to check filings for accuracy.
What the sources state
- Direct loss $999.99
Show every field, with its source and grade
The AI system
What it was for
legal research and drafting
C one secondary source states it
What happened
Earliest source we hold
2026-09-15
A the date the source itself carries
Who caught it
the victim
C one secondary source states it
Themes
legal filings, fake citations, hallucination, sanctions
C one secondary source states it
What was done
Lawyers should verify every case, quote, statute, and legal claim. They should use trusted legal sources to confirm AI-generated information.
C one secondary source states it
What went wrong
made things up
C one secondary source states it
Impact
Direct loss
$999.99
C one secondary source states it
Severity
minor
D inferred by us from the described behaviour, reason shown
Kind of harm
money, reputation
C one secondary source states it
Who was affected
State Farm lawyer Jacquelene Robinson; the court and the insurance dispute case
C one secondary source states it
Why this severity
The loss was a $999.99 fine against one lawyer in one case, with no third party data or systems touched.
D inferred by us from the described behaviour, reason shown
Context
Industry
Insurance
C one secondary source states it
Country
United States
C one secondary source states it
LR-2026-0079 · version 5 · published 2026-10-25 after automatic checks; not yet checked field by field by a person · changes to this case · JSON