State Farm Faces Lawsuit Over Denied Hail and Wind Claims in Alabama

Damages range from $18,000 to $20,000 per claimant.

Chris Schafer
Written byChris Schafer
Chris Schafer
Chris SchaferDeputy Managing Editor, News and Marketing Content
  • 15+ years in content creation

  • 7+ years in business and financial services content

Chris is a seasoned writer/editor with past experience across myriad industries, including insurance, SAS, finance, Medicare, logistics, marketing/advertising, and many more.

Featured in

media logomedia logomedia logomedia logo
Evelyn Pimplaskar
Evelyn PimplaskarEditor-in-Chief, Director of Content
  • 10+ years in insurance and personal finance content

  • 30+ years in media, PR, and content creation

Evelyn leads Insurify’s content team. She’s passionate about creating empowering content to help people transform their financial lives and make sound insurance-buying decisions.

Featured in

media logomedia logomedia logo
John Leach
Reviewed byJohn Leach
Photo of an Insurify author
John LeachSenior Insurance Copy Editor
  • Licensed property and casualty insurance agent

  • 8+ years editing experience

  • NPN: 20461358

John leads Insurify’s copy desk, helping ensure the accuracy and readability of Insurify’s content. He’s a licensed agent specializing in home and car insurance topics.

Featured in

media logo

Published | Reading time: 1 minutes

Advertiser Disclosure

At Insurify, our goal is to help customers compare insurance products and find the best policy for them. We strive to provide open, honest, and unbiased information about the insurance products and services we review. Our hard-working team of data analysts, insurance experts, insurance agents, editors and writers, has put in thousands of hours of research to create the content found on our site.

We do receive compensation when a sale or referral occurs from many of the insurance providers and marketing partners on our site. That may impact which products we display and where they appear on our site. But it does not influence our meticulously researched editorial content, what we write about, or any reviews or recommendations we may make. We do not guarantee favorable reviews or any coverage at all in exchange for compensation.

Why you can trust Insurify: Comparing accurate insurance quotes should never put you at risk of spam. We earn an agent commission only if you buy a policy based on our quotes. Our editorial team follows a rigorous set of editorial standards and operates independently from our insurance partners. Learn more.

Share

Table of contents

Table of contentsexpand/collapse

Two dozen Alabama homeowners are suing State Farm, alleging the insurer baselessly denied their home insurance claims for wind and hail damage this year.

The policyholders, all of Dothan, are seeking compensation for storm damage following events that occurred between March and June. Plaintiffs in the case range from first-time homebuyers to 20-to-30-year policyholders.

Suit alleges State Farm acted in bad faith

“State Farm knew no lawful basis existed for the denials herein stated and failed to investigate properly,” the suit states. The complaint also argues that State Farm misled the plaintiffs by selling them homeowners policies that buyers assumed would include coverage for wind and hail damage.

The suit also includes individual allegations by each member plaintiff. In general, the plaintiffs allege State Farm refused to investigate or cover incidents of roof damage and subsequent water damage brought on by wind and hailstorms.

Most plaintiffs are seeking financial compensation, plus costs and interest, for their losses. Some are also seeking compensation for mental anguish and emotional distress.

Total damages sought range from $18,000 to $20,000 per plaintiff, Gantt Pierce, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told Alabama television station WTVY.

“There’s been a lot of damage done — to ceilings, to personal property, to things that are kind of subsequent to your roof being damaged. And by them not taking care of that in short order, it’s caused more damage,” Pierce told the station.

State Farm has not yet commented on the lawsuit.

What’s next: Severe weather affects Alabama home insurance

Alabama is the sixth most expensive state for homeowners insurance, according to Insurify data.

At the end of 2024, the average annual cost of home insurance in Alabama was $5,445, according to Insurify. That average is likely to increase by 7% through the end of 2025, Insurify data analysts predict.

The state’s location along the Gulf Coast means properties are at higher risk for damage from hurricanes, which cause more financial damage than any other type of natural disaster. Environmental risks directly affect home insurance rates in an area.

Chris Schafer
Chris SchaferDeputy Managing Editor, News and Marketing Content

Chris is Insurify’s Senior Editor for home insurance. He’s a seasoned writer/editor with past experience across myriad industries, including insurance, SAS, finance, Medicare, logistics, marketing/advertising, and many more. He is passionate about breaking down complex subject material to make important information accessible to everyone. 

Chris began his career as a journalist, managing two weekly newspapers, then moving into marketing and content marketing roles. Before joining Insurify, Chris served as the content strategy manager at Siteimprove and as the content manager at Brandpoint, where he managed a team of content creators. 

Away from work, Chris is an active hockey player and proud father of two rambunctious little girls. Chris holds a Bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in mass communications from the University of Minnesota. 

Evelyn Pimplaskar
Edited byEvelyn PimplaskarEditor-in-Chief, Director of Content
Evelyn Pimplaskar
Evelyn PimplaskarEditor-in-Chief, Director of Content
  • 10+ years in insurance and personal finance content

  • 30+ years in media, PR, and content creation

Evelyn leads Insurify’s content team. She’s passionate about creating empowering content to help people transform their financial lives and make sound insurance-buying decisions.

Featured in

media logomedia logomedia logo
John Leach
Reviewed byJohn LeachSenior Insurance Copy Editor
Photo of an Insurify author
John LeachSenior Insurance Copy Editor
  • Licensed property and casualty insurance agent

  • 8+ years editing experience

  • NPN: 20461358

John leads Insurify’s copy desk, helping ensure the accuracy and readability of Insurify’s content. He’s a licensed agent specializing in home and car insurance topics.

Featured in

media logo