He’s a former chief justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
Now he’s battling with corporate insurance behemoths.
Retired Chief Justice Joseph Watt with his wife submitted a claim to State Farm in 2024 stemming from storm damage. State Farm denied the couple, according to the news nonprofit Oklahoma Watch.
Justice Watt, who spent 25 years on Oklahoma’s highest court, went back to court himself to find relief from State Farm.
He wasn’t alone. Hundreds of similar claims have been filed in recent years that involved Oklahoma roofs and the insurance megacorporation State Farm, a behemoth worth some $132 billion.
Over a period of years, Watt had paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in premiums to State Farm. Maybe the experience Watt had is familiar to you and your insurance company.
State Farm ranks low in customer satisfaction on the handling of claims. It trails behind 11 other insurance companies, according to the market research firm J.D. Power.
Said Justice Watt to the Tulsa World:
“I know how insurance works. The court wrote many opinions on insurance companies over the years, so I had enough knowledge of the insurance industry to know that I wasn’t being treated fairly. I was getting lowballed – and it just wasn’t right.”
Are you fighting to get what you were promised? Call for a consultation with Joe Norwood and Norwood.Law at 918-582-6464.
Perception
Don’t run away. Knowledge is power. Keep reading to learn more about insurance behemoths that refuse to pay consumers back after life-altering disasters. You can also call for a consultation with Joe Norwood and Norwood.Law at 918-582-6464.
Maybe the experience of Judge Watts sounds familiar to you. Joe Norwood says State Farm in his experience is the worst at paying insurance claims. The best he has seen is USAA.
State Farm in March of 2026 admitted that it had come under intensified scrutiny in Oklahoma. It blames media coverage of legal disputes and says the coverage is “shaping public perception at a time when many homeowners are already stressed by storm damage.”
No mercy
Retired Justice Watt isn’t the only public servant who’s tangled with State Farm.
Billy Hursh is a Tulsa police lieutenant and SWAT leader. His home was beaten by a hail storm in 2023. The damage was obvious from the ground, and a hole was eventually found in the roof.
State Farm is Oklahoma’s largest writer of homeowners insurance. But a new roof for Hursh would cost $22,000. State Farm said it would pay $1,400.
In 2025, Hursh took legal action against State Farm joining hundreds of other policyholders who filed their own cases in Oklahoma.
In 2026, meanwhile, NPR in 2026 reported on court records that described a deliberate scheme to cut back on compensation for policyholders. Said NPR:
“The epicenter of the hail litigation appears to be Oklahoma, where more than 600 lawsuits were pending against State Farm as of this spring (2026), according to a law firm handling some of the cases. Oklahoma’s Republican attorney general has joined one of the lawsuits, alleging that State Farm has been running a secret scheme to deny and minimize payments for roof damage from hail and wind.”
Denied
The Wall Street Journal is also covering the insurance giants and their treatment or mistreatment of policyholders. The Journal found in 2026 that the nation’s biggest home insurers were routinely rejecting claims.
The Journal found that renters and homeowners were often forced to pay for their own repairs. The likelihood of a claim not being paid out by the biggest home insurers has shot up in recent years.
The stories seem endless. In 2025, an Ohio family’s home was damaged during a major storm. But State Farm agreed to pay only for three roof shingles.
Said the homeowner to news station NBC4:
“I paid my premiums. … What I really want is just some explanation of what to do, and I’m just frustrated. … Total helplessness is what I feel.”
You don’t have to feel helpless.
Punched
Experiences can differ by state.
For example, Martin Weiss, founder of the financial ratings company Weiss Ratings, said that State Farm Florida during one period denied almost 60 percent of claims:
“What’s most surprising of all is that some of the companies in Florida with the highest denial rates do have the financial strength to afford to pay a much larger portion of their closed claims. … After paying far higher premiums and suffering widespread storm damage, this is like a punch in the gut for Florida homeowners.”
One Ohio family’s home was damaged by a storm in 2025. State Farm agreed to pay for just three roof shingles, according to news accounts. The homeowner told news station NBC4:
“I paid my premiums. … What I really want is just some explanation on what to do and I’m just frustrated. … Total helplessness is what I feel.”
You don’t have to be helpless. You have a right to fight back.
Act now
Joe Norwood and Norwood.Law have the experience and knowledge to win for you.
Maybe you’re fighting for child custody. Maybe you’re needing legal protection for a small business. Maybe you’re fighting to protect your civil rights.
Norwood.Law practices family, estate, personal injury, civil rights, criminal, business law and more. Let Joe Norwood help you return to the life you had or gain the one you want.
Call for a consultation at 918-582-6464.
Rejected
A major storm hit Tulsa in the spring of 2024. One man named Tim Willard could see roof damage at his home from the ground.
State Farm first said the roof needed to be replaced. Then it suddenly reversed that position and denied Willard’s claim.
Then it went further and cancelled Willard’s policy altogether. He was forced to pay thousands of dollars to get a new roof.
The Oklahoma Office of the Attorney General has alleged that State Farm secretly sought to boost profits by denying compensation.
In the news
Joe Norwood’s successes in both civil and criminal law have been publicized by news organizations nationwide.
So stay here to get smart.
If you need legal help, don’t wait. Call Joe Norwood for a consultation at 918-582-6464.
Weidner
A storm in 2024 battered Vicky Weidner’s Tulsa home. State Farm refused to pay even one penny for her damage.
Weidner had already made her investment in disaster protection by paying out $10,000 a year for 10 years to State Farm.
The cost of a new roof for Weidner could reach as high as $50,000. But not only did they deny her claim, State Farm said it would no longer cover her with insurance.
The Wall Street Journal says Vicky Weidner is far from the only homeowner to be denied in recent years by major insurance corporations – including State Farm – that refused to pay after disasters struck.
Triumph
Joe Norwood’s record says it all.
He’s won against banking interests and insurance companies. He’s won against foreign manufacturers. He’s won against the government over wrongful convictions.
Hurry and call.
Joseph M. Norwood is a Tulsa attorney with the courtroom expertise you need. Contact his office at 918-582-6464.
By G.W. Schulz