Red flags started to appear after State Farm’s calculations of damage was so low it didn’t even touch the couple’s deductible.
Drummond filed a Dec. 4 motion to intervene in a lawsuit issued by Billy and Lucy Hursh, “alleging that the company operated a coordinated program to limit roof-related insurance payouts by denying or reducing valid hail and wind claims.” After a hailstorm caused extensive roof damage to their Tulsa home, the couple hired two contractors and were told they would need a completely new roof.
“I’m trying to take care of my home, and this is why I had homeowners’ insurance.”
By jumping into the lawsuit, the Republican attorney general says claim outcomes aren’t decided by policy promises but by the need to meet savings targets set by the company. “Oklahomans can weather inflation and Oklahoma storms, but they cannot withstand a system in which they are charged more while effectively insured less,” Drummond, who is running for governor, said.
“Inflation and weather do not explain, let alone justify, the widening gap between what Oklahomans pay and what they receive.”
Court documents reveal that State Farm allegedly developed a program called the “Hail Focus Initiative” that, according to The Oklahoman, has faced accusations of imposing restrictions on who can approve roof replacements and creating a new definition of “hail damage.” The program instructs adjusters to attribute hail damage to wear and tear, installation error, manufacturing defects, or cosmetic damage.
Plaintiffs named in the additional claims against the company are represented by the Oklahoma City-based law firm Whitten Burrage, where attorneys criticized State Farm’s “good neighbor” image. Drummond seemingly agrees, saying, “Such a scheme shocks the conscience.” “Oklahomans are paying rising homeowners insurance premiums yet receiving less protection in return, as State Farm simultaneously pursues additional rate increases while allegedly escalating its claim denials and underpayment practices,” the attorney general’s office wrote in the motion.
While the decision on whether Drummond can intervene is left in the hands of Judge Amy Palumbo, State Farm has denied all the allegations, labeling each insurance claim as “unique” and to be handled individually. “At State Farm, we’re committed to giving our customers all the benefits their insurance policies provide,” the company said in a statement.
“The fact that someone files a lawsuit does not mean the allegations made are true.”
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Source: Black Enterprise
