How Allstate Allegedly Underpays Oklahoma Storm Damage Claims — and What You Can Do About It

Replace Licensed Adjusters with Unlicensed “Picture Takers”

Allstate's corporate representative admitted under oath that Allstate and its affiliated companies no longer send their own staff adjusters to inspect damaged properties. Instead, they deploy unlicensed third-party vendors through Pilot Catastrophe Services — individuals described in Senate testimony as “picture takers” who document visible damage but have no authority to make coverage determinations, no copy of your policy, and no ability to discuss the scope of your claim.

The person who actually sees your home has no real power. The person who decides what you get paid never visits your property.

Commission an Engineering Report Through a Preferred Vendor

For claims involving significant structural damage, Allstate directs its third-party adjusters to commission engineering assessments through Allstate's own preferred firms. In the Oklahoma case, the firm was Donan Engineering. The conflict of interest is straightforward: the engineering firm is paid by and selected by Allstate, and its continued relationship depends on producing reports useful to Allstate.

Court records reveal that Donan produced two versions of its report on the same property. The original documented serious structural damage. After receiving it, Encompass directed Donan to issue an addendum with “repair recommendations” that transformed a total loss into a repairable structure. The homeowners were never told two versions existed. This only came to light during the corporate deposition — more than two years after the tornado.

Write the Estimate to Match the Manipulated Report

Court testimony reveals that the third-party adjuster did not write his damage estimate until after he had received and reviewed the engineering report. Rather than an independent assessment, the adjuster's estimate was shaped by an engineering report that had itself already been revised at Allstate's direction. The circularity is intentional: a preferred engineer produces a report shaped by what the company wants, and the adjuster writes his estimate to match.

Promise a Fair Second Opinion — Then Override It

Allstate manager Alex Bowers made an explicit promise on a recorded phone call: whatever a new inspector concluded, Allstate would honor that opinion. Allstate sent Quinton Hughes from Jenkins Restorations. Hughes visited the property and told the homeowner — also on a recorded call — that the home needed to be completely rebuilt.

Hughes also predicted Allstate would force him to change his findings. He was right. His estimate was revised to align with the manipulated Donan report. Allstate's own corporate representative, confronted with these recordings at deposition, could not describe the conduct using any word other than fraud.

Ignore Evidence the Policyholder Produces

The homeowners retained Dr. Chris Ramseyer, Director of Civil Engineering at the University of Oklahoma, who confirmed the home was a total loss. Allstate's corporate representative, deposed more than two years after the tornado, had never heard of Dr. Ramseyer's report. It was never reviewed. It was never considered.

Track How Much Is Being Saved — at the “Enterprise Level”

Plaintiffs' attorneys requested all analyses Encompass had conducted regarding reductions in indemnity payments since 2015. Encompass objected — but in doing so, used a phrase plaintiffs had never used: “enterprise-level analyses of indemnity-payment reductions.” Encompass volunteered the existence of exactly the documents they were fighting hardest to protect. The company stated it will not produce enterprise-level analyses of how much it has reduced homeowner claim payments across its entire operation.