An Oklahoma County judge has ordered 11 previously protected State Farm documents made public in a lawsuit over a homeowner's hail and wind damage claim, FOX23 reported.
District Judge Amy Palumbo ruled the records could no longer be shielded from public view. They were filed in a case brought by Billy and Lacy Hursh of Broken Arrow, who sued the insurer over a wind and hail claim on their house and say State Farm paid them too little.
Hannah Whitten of the law firm Whitten Burrage, which represents the couple, said the documents show how the insurer handles claims. She said filing documents that are not confidential in the public record helps educate people about "the insurance company that has 30% of the market share in this state."
According to FOX23, the documents discuss a "claims quality plan" and tactics for roof claims. One lists a falling number of full roof replacements, relative to partial repairs, as a positive quality trend. Whitten said the company had been replacing roofs at a ratio of 5.6 for each repair and that the figure later dropped to two replacements per repair, which she called a reduction of more than 50%.
FOX23 said the word "opportunity" or "opportunities" shows up at least 24 times in the 11 documents, which Whitten said refers to chances to cut claim payments. Another is an email exchanged by State Farm executives that opens "Please do not forward" and discusses an "OP Model." Whitten said that refers to outcome-based claim handling, which she said is illegal in Oklahoma. One document also describes a plan to "embed artificial intelligence into most workflows."
Lawyers for State Farm had argued the records were internal and should stay sealed. In a written statement to FOX23, State Farm said the plaintiffs' attorneys had selectively cited the documents and deposition testimony and that the material does "not substantiate the assertions made by plaintiffs' attorneys." The company said it "evaluates each claim based on the facts of the loss and the coverage purchased and pays the benefits available under the policy," and said the attorneys "have a financial stake in this litigation and an incentive to mischaracterize documents and testimony to advance their case."