Friendly reminder – insanely high premiums aren’t the only way insurance companies are screwing over Oklahomans. They also love messing with our pockets – and psyches – by denying and manipulating claims.
I learned this a couple of years ago after I noticed my roof had some hail damage I wasn’t aware of.
Initially, the company only offered ¼ of the replacement cost.
After hiring my own adjuster to look into it, we realized the company made multiple errors in the paperwork, including the date the damage occurred and the age of the roof – mistakes that resulted in extra depreciation and penalties. After a lengthy process, the company finally relented and I was reimbursed for the full replacement, minus the deductible.
Apparently, I was one of the lucky ones.
As you may have heard, there are a ton of lawsuits winding their way through the courts against State Farm Insurance, claiming the company implemented an elaborate scheme to automatically deny certain roof claims in Oklahoma, even when people had obvious damage, like holes in their roofs.
Oklahoma Watch has the details here.
As a result of these lawsuits – and the fact that Oklahoma home insurance rates have become a campaign issue – Oklahoma AG Gentner Drummond is even taking the rare step of inserting himself into the issue.
Here are the details via a press release from his office:
Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a motion to intervene today in a case against State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, alleging that the company operated a coordinated program to limit roof-related insurance payouts by denying or reducing valid hail and wind claims.
“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,” Drummond said in the motion. “Oklahomans can weather inflation and Oklahoma storms, but they cannot withstand a system in which they are charged more while effectively insured less. Inflation and weather do not explain, let alone justify, the widening gap between what Oklahomans pay and what they receive.”
Yep, that’s right. Gentner Drummond – a real-life Oklahoma politician who is running for Governor – dared criticize the insurance companies that rob, pillage, and steal from us on a daily basis. I guess it’s no wonder the extreme MAGA conservatives can’t stand him, huh?
Although I do appreciate Gentner getting involved right in the middle of campaign season, you do have to wonder how things got to this point. Like, shouldn’t Oklahoma have an insurance commissioner to oversee and regulate the industry, and prevent things like this from happening?
Oh. Wait. We do. His name is Glen Mulready.
In what has to be an effort to save some face, or better yet – protect the industry – he conveniently announced his office is also looking into the issue:
Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready on Monday announced his agency has an ongoing investigation into roof claims, separate from a private lawsuit by homeowners alleging State Farm formed an illegal enterprise to avoid payouts.
The agency announcement comes less than a week after Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a motion to intervene in a case against State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, alleging the company operated a coordinated program to decrease roof-related insurance payouts by denying or reducing valid hail and wind claims.
Mulready said the Oklahoma Insurance Department monitors the behavior of all insurance companies in the marketplace.
Yep, good news, everyone!
Glen Mulready – the guy who has spent the last seven years “monitoring” insurance companies as they price-gouge Oklahomans – is now jumping into the State Farm investigation.
I can’t wait to see what he uncovers, which sucks, because we’ll apparently never get to see it.
Mulready said the investigations are confidential, but any action taken will become public information.
OID has been engaged in an investigation for the past two years regarding the handling of roof claims in the state. Mulready said these conduct exams take considerable time because they have to follow rigorous national guidelines to ensure a full and thorough investigation process.
Yep, nothing to see here. We just have the lame-duck politician who rolls over and asks for a belly rub whenever he sees an insurance executive conducting “confidential” investigations into the very same industry that donates to his campaign. What could go wrong with that? No conflict of interest there! I’m sure everything will be by the book and insurance companies will be held accountable.
Those are just a few of the insurance companies that have given money to Mulready over the years. I'm sure there are more where that came from.
Anyway, while I do research into open records laws regarding insurance investigations, I think I’m going to put more of my faith into Gentner – a personal injury attorney who hates insurance companies – to hold these evil companies that want to screw us over accountable. Sure, I doubt he’ll be successful either once the lobbyists get to him, but a man can hope.
Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.
