The Cost of Denial: Oklahoma homeowners sue State Farm over storm claims

JARRETT ON BY HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE IN OKLAHOMA ARE. HUNDREDS OF PEPEOPLE IN OKLAHOMA ARE SUING STATE FARM, IN OKLAHOMA ARE SUING STATE FARM, AND WHY THE STATE. SUING STATE FARM, AND WHY THE STATATE ATTORNEY GENERAL IS. COMPARING THE INSURANCE GIANT TO THE MOB. THE MOB. >> BILLY HIRSCH BELIEVE WHAT HE WAWAS. BELIEVE WHAT HE WAS HEARING FROM HIS INSURANCE COMPANY. HEARING FROM HIS INSURANCE COMPANY. >> THERE'S A HOLE IN. INSURANCE COMPANY. >> THERE'S A HOLE IN THE ROOF, AND, AND. >> THERE'S A HOLE IN THE ROOF, AND,D, AND STATE FOR OUT, IT'S. IN FAIR CONDITION. WE'RE LIKE, THERE'S A HOLE IN THE ROOF. WE'RE LIKE, THERE'S A HOLE IN THE ROOF. >> T THE POLICE. >> THE POLICE OFFICER AND HIS WIFE, LACEY,Y, LIVE. WIFE, LACEY, LIVE WITH THEIR FIVE-YEAR- OLOLD ON A CUL-DE-SAC. JUST OUTSIDE TULSA, OKLAHOMA. THAT HOLE IN THEIR.

OKLAHOMA. THAT HOLE IN T THEIR ROOF, THEY SAY THE. ROOF, THEY SAY THE RESULT OF A VICIOUS HAILSTORORM IN 2023. HAILSTORM IN 2023. BILLY SAYS HE SPOKE TO MULTIPLE. TO MULTIPLE CONTRACTORS, AND EVERYONENE AGREED. CONTRACTORS, AND EVERYONE AGREED. >> YOU NEED A FULL. EVERYONE AGREED. >> YOU NEED A FULL ROOF R REPLACEMENT. ROOF REPLACEMENT. AND FOR THEM, IT SEEMED LIKE A NO-. BRAINER. THEY WOULD SAY, WITH YOUR INSURANCE. YOUR INSURANCE PROVIDER, WE SAY STATE FARMRM, AND. PROVIDER, , WE SAY STATE FARM, AND THEIR HEADS WOULD. THEIR HEADS WOULD DROP. >> DESPITE HAVING A. DROP. >> DESPITE HAVING A POLICY THAT COVERED. POLICY THAT COVERED ACCIDENTALAL DAMAGE TO THE HOME, STATE FARM. THE HOME, STATE FARM DENIED THEIRIR CLAIM, WINDING THE ROOF WAS. WINDING THE ROOF WAS IN FAIR CONDNDITION. EIGHT MONTHS LATER, IN FAIR CONDITION. EIGHT MONTHS LATER, ANOTHER HAILSTORM, EIGHT MONTHS LATERER, ANOTHER HAILSTORM, AND THE HIRSCH IS. ANOTHER HAILSTORM, AND THE HIRSCH IS SAFE THEY FOUND EVEN. AND THE HIRSCH IS SAFE THEY FOUND D EVEN MORE DAMAGE TO THE.

SAFE THEY FOUND EVEN MORE DAMAGE TO THE ROOF. ROOF. THIS TIME, STATE FARM ACKCKNOWLEDGED. FARM ACKNOWLEDGED IT, BUT CALLED IT MINONOR, AND REFUSED. IT, BUBUT CALLED IT MINOR, AND REFUSED TO PAY FOR ANY. MINOR, AND REFUSED TO PAY FOR ANY REPLACEMENT. REPLACEMENT. >> DID IF YOU LIKE, WELL, WAIT A MINUTE, WELL, WAIT A MINUTE, I PAID. I PAID MY PREMIUMS. I PAID. I PAID MY PREMIUMS ON T TIME. ON TIME. WHY AM I NOT GETTING MY ROOF FIXED? MY ROOF FIXED? >> ABSOLUTELY. IT MAKES YOUOU FEEL. IT MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE THE ENTIRE SYSTEM OF INSURANCE. LIKE THE ENTIRE SYSTSTEM OF INSURANCE IS RIGGED. SYSTEM OF INSURANCE IS RIGGED. >> AFRAID OF WHAT. IS RIGGED. >> AFRAID OF WHAT MIMIGHT HAPPEN WHEN. MIGHT HAPPEN WHEN THE NEXT STORM HIT, THE PURCRCHASE PUT ON. THE PURCHASE PUT ON A BRAND-NEW ROOF. >> EVERY SINGLGLE UP. >> EVERY SINGLE UP THERE IS NEW. >> Reporter: THE. >> Reporter: THE COST? MORE THAN $22,000. COST? MORE THAN $2$22,000. >> WE HAD TO BORROW. >> WE HAD TO BORROW AGAINST THE EQUITY ONON OUR HOUSE. AGAINST THE EQUITY ON OUR HOUSE. >> Y YOU HAD TO BORROW. >> YOU HAD TO BORROW AGAINST THE EQUITY ON YOUR HOUSE TOTO GET.

ON YOUR HOUSE TO GET YOUR RIVERPLACE? >> YEAH. >> YEAH. IT FORCED US TO RE- EVALUATE OUR. EVALUATE OUR FINANCIAL PLANNING BY DECADADES. FINANCIAL PLANNING BY DECADES. >> Reporter: THE. BY DECADES. >> Reporter:r: THE HIRSCH'S ARE NOW. , HIRSCH'S ARE NOW SUING STATE FARM, ALLEGING THE COMPANY. ALLEGING THE COMPANY DEVISED A FRAUDULENT SCHEME TO DENYNY OR. DEVISED A FRAUDULENT SCHEME TO DENY OR UNDERPAY VALID HAIL. SCHEME TO DENY OR UNDERPAY VALID HAIL DAMAGE CLAIMS, DAMAGE CLAIMS, SAYING STATE FARM NEW IT'S SCHCHEME. SAYING STATE FARM NEW IT'S SCHEME WOULD WORK ONLY IF. NEW IT'S SCHEME WOULD WORK ONLY IFIF IT WAS KEPT SECRET. WOULD WORK ONLY IF IT WAS KEPT SECRET. >> WE'VE DISCOVERED. >> WE'VE DISCOVERED AND REACHED D A CONCLUSION THAT. AND REACHED A CONCLUSION THAT STATE FARM HAS A. CONCLUSION THAHAT STATE FARM HAS A SCHEME OF DECEPTION. STATE FARM HAS A SCHEME OF DECEPTION. >> Reporter: THE. SCHEME OF DECEPTION. >> Reporter: THE STATE ATTORNEY. STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL NOW JOINING IN THIS LEGAL BATTTTLE.

GENERAL NOW JOINING IN THIS LEGAL BATTTTLE AFTER A STATE COURT. IN THIS LEGAL BATTLE AFTER R A STATE COURT GRANTED HIS OFFICE. AFTER A STATE COURT GRANTED HIS OFFICE THE POWER TO. GRANTED HIS OFFICE THE POWER TO INVESTIGATE. INVESTIGATE. >> I THINK THAT AS WE GO DEEPER INTO. WE GO DEEPER INTO THIS LAWSUIT, WE'LL DISCOVER THAT STATE. THIS LAWSUIT, WE'LL DISCOVER THAT STATE FARM HAS REAPED. FARM HAS REAPED BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF PROFITS OFF OF. BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF PROFITS OFF OF OKLAHOMANS, AND. OKLAHOMANS, AND THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE TOLERATED. THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE TOLERATED. >> Reporter: THE. >> Reporter: THE HIRSCH'S AREN'T THE ONLY ONES SUING. ONLY ONES SUING. LAW FIRMS TELL NBC NEWS THERE ARE NOW. LAW FIRMS TELL NBC NEWS THERE ARE NOWOW MORE THAN 600. SIMILAR CASES AGAINST STATE FARM IN OKLAHOMA. AGAINST STATE FARM IN OKLAHOMA. THE COMPANY, WHICH. IN OKLAHOMA. THE COMPMPANY, WHICH IS THE NUMBER ONE. THE COMPANY, WHICH IS THE NUMBER ONE PROPERTY INSURER IN.

IS THE NUMBER ONE PROPERTY INSURER IN THE STATE, DECLINED. PROPERTY INSURER IN THE STATE, DECLINED OUR REQUEST FOR AN. OUR REQUEST FOR AN INTERVIEW, BUT IN LEGAL FILINGS, HAS. LEGAL FILINGS, HAS DENIED ANY WRONGDOING. WRONGDOING. STATE FARM TELLING US IT HAHAS PAID MORE. US IT HAS PAID MORE THAN $1 BILLION TO OKLAHOMA CUSTOMERS. OKLAHOMA CUSTOMERS FOR WIND AND HAIL DAMAGE TO THEIR. DAMAGE TO THEIR HOMES AND PROPERTY OVER THE PAST TWO. OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS. BUT ATTORNEY GENERAL. BUT ATTORNEY GENERAL DRUMMOND IS INVESTIGIGATING. POSSIBLE RACKETEERING, OR RICO VIOLATIONS BY. RACKETEERING, OR RICO VIOLATIONS BY THE COMPANY, AN. RICO VIOLATIONS BY THE COMPANY, AN ALLEGATION STATE. ALLEGATION STATE FARM CALLS FRIVOLOUOUS. FRIVOLOUS. >> PEOPLE THINK ABOUT RICO LAWS. ABOUT RICO LAWS APPLYING TO THE MOB. IS STATE FARM THE. IS STATE FARM THE MOB? >>>> IT MAY VERY WELL.

>> IT MAY VERY WELL BE. THERERE MAY BE A. BE. THERE MAY Y BE A SCHEME INSIDE OF. STATE FARM'S LEADERSHIP TO INTENTIONALLY. LEADERSHIP TO INTENTIONALLY DEFRAUD OKLAHOMANS. INTENTIONALLY DEFRFRAUD OKLAHOMANS. AND IF THAT CAN BE. DEFRAUD OKLAHOMANS. AND IF THAT CAN BE PROVEN, THAT RICO. AND IF THAT CAN BE PROVEN, THAT RICO WILL, WILL CROSS. PROVEN, THAT RICO WILL, , WILL CROSS INTO THE CRIMINAL. WILL, WILL CROSS INTO THE CRIMINAL WORLRLD. WORLD. >> WHATEVER COMES NEXT, THE HIRSCH'S. >> WHATETEVER COMES NEXT, THE HIRSCH'S ESSAY A ROOF OVER. NEXT, THE HIRSCH'S ESSAY Y A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD IS WORTH. ESSAY A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD IS WORTH THE FIGHT. YOUR HEAD IS WORTH THE FIGHT. >> IF I CAN HELP. THE FIGHT. >> IF I CAN HELP PROTECT MY FAMILY. PROTECT MY FAMILY AND MAYBE HELP PROTECT SOMEONE. PROTECT SOMEONE ELSE'S FAMILY, IT'S WORTH EVEVERYTHING. WORTH EVERYTHING. >> ALL RIGHT, WITH THATAT, LAURA JOINS US.

THAT, LAURA JOINS US NOW LIVE IN STUDIO. LAURA, THERE ARE S SO. NOW LIVE IN STUDIO. LAURA,A, THERE ARE SO MANY OF THESE CASES. MANY OF THESE CASES. YOU HAVE FOUND SOME E HAVE ALREADY.