In yet another favorable outcome for State Farm, Mississippi U.S. District Court Senior Judge L.T. Senter, Jr. dismissed the case of McIntosh v. State Farm, in which plaintiffs Thomas C. McIntosh and Pamela McIntosh accused State Farm of fraud and Alabama-based catastrophe claim service E.A. Renfroe of “aiding and abetting” said fraud.

The dispute began when the McIntoshes filed for additional insurance benefits under their homeowners' policy after their Biloxi, Mississippi residence sustained considerable damage during Hurricane Katrina. Following the storm, State Farm dispatched Renfroe, which also consulted Forensic Analysis & Engineering to differentiate between damages incurred from wind versus water. Based on the two separate engineering reports, the insurer paid the plaintiffs the policy limits of their flood coverage and shelled out an excess of $36,000 for wind damages. However, the insurer balked at the homeowners' request for additional compensation, causing the McIntoshes to question the credibility of the reports.

“Plaintiffs contend that State Farm, acting through Renfroe and Forensic, deliberately underestimated the amount of wind damage the insured property sustained in order to minimize its liability under the plaintiffs' homeowners' policy,” said Senter in his memorandum opinion.