BROKEN ARROW, Okla. –
A Broken Arrow family is suing State Farm Insurance after two hailstorms forced them to get a new roof.
The family says State Farm wouldn’t cover the cost because they were told the damage was less than their deductible.
The lawsuit says it’s common for State Farm to deny customers hail claims regardless of the damage to avoid paying for roof repairs and replacements.
The Hurshes’ experience
Billy Hursh, the homeowner who’s suing State Farm, says he feels like a fool for believing the company would act in good faith.
The roof on the Hurshes’ home is just a year old and worth $22,000.
“We borrowed against the equity in our house and paid for ourselves,” he said.
A hailstorm in 2023 put a hole in the Hurshes’ roof and other wear and tear that required a replacement.
So the Hurshes called a contractor to take a look.
“But as soon as we said, ‘Oh, State Farm is our carrier,’ you could tell, they said, ‘Oh, there’s no way.’ State Farm is never gonna pay out on our roof. And so we slowly became aware of a reality,” said Hursh.
The Hurshes made a claim to State Farm for a replacement, but it was denied. They appealed, and another State Farm adjuster admitted there was some damage.
“But it doesn’t really meet your deductible. It’s not really qualifying for a full roof replacement the first time, actually. They said our roof still had 10 years on it,” said Hursh.
They were sent about three grand to fix the damages. Then, eight months after the first hailstorm, they got hit with a second, and another claim was denied.
“We’ve learned that that was actually a pattern of practice, apparently, that is alleged to have occurred all across the state for quite a while,” said Hursh.
Taking legal action
The Hurshes are suing State Farm because they say the insurance company uses pre-determined rules that lead to denials regardless of the damage.
They say State Farm isn’t clear about what qualifies as hail damage and is using its own definition to determine what can be paid out.
The lawsuit claims State Farm does this intentionally and for profit.
“I never missed an insurance payment. I always held up my end of the bargain, and when it was time for the insurance company to hold up their end of the bargain, now there’s secret standards and documents, all these ways that they’re putting their thumb on the scale so that they don’t actually have to hold up the brand of the bargain,” said Hursh.
There are nearly 200 similar cases involving State Farm taking place right now.
State Farm Insurance statement
“At State Farm, every claim is important to us, and each claim is unique and handled on its individual merits. At State Farm, we’re committed to giving our customers all the benefits their insurance policies provide. The fact that someone files a lawsuit does not mean the allegations made are true.”
Attorney General gets involved
Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a motion to intervene in a case against State Farm Fire, saying the company operated a coordinated program to limit roof-related insurance payouts by denying or reducing valid hail and wind claims.
Drummond says he’s “asking the court to award penalties, damages, structural reforms and the recovery of profits State Farm allegedly obtained through its scheme.”
Attorney General Drummond has filed a motion to intervene in a case that accuses State Farm of limiting roof-related insurance payouts by denying or reducing valid hail and wind claims.
December 4, 2025 06:04 PM
2 min read
