History of State Farm in Timeline

State Farm is a group of mutual insurance companies headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois. Founded in 1922, it stands as the largest provider of property, casualty, and auto insurance in the United States. The company operates throughout the U.S., providing a wide range of insurance and financial services to individuals and families.

June 1922: State Farm Founded

In June 1922, State Farm was founded by George J. Mecherle as a mutual automobile insurance company.

1922: State Farm Insurance Founded

In 1922, State Farm Insurance was founded as a group of mutual insurance companies with its headquarters in Bloomington, Illinois.

1953: State Farm Logo Update

In 1953, the State Farm interlocked red tri-oval logo was updated.

1971: State Farm Jingle Written by Barry Manilow

In 1971, the State Farm jingle ("Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there") was written by American singer-songwriter Barry Manilow.

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1981: Campbell Accident and State Farm's Response

In 1981, Curtis Campbell caused an accident. State Farm contested liability and declined settlement offers. The jury rendered a verdict that Campbell was 100 percent liable for the accident. State Farm refused to pay the excess amount or post a supersedeas bond to allow Campbell to appeal the verdict. Campbell obtained his own counsel to do this.

1984: Campbell settlement with victim's estate

In 1984, Campbell reached a settlement with the victim's estate, where Campbell would pursue an insurance bad faith action against State Farm. The attorneys for the victim's estate would represent Campbell in the bad-faith suit.

1985: Settlement approved in sex discrimination lawsuit

In 1985, a settlement was approved in a sex discrimination lawsuit against State Farm, requiring the company to pay up to $420,000 each to women denied jobs as insurance agents in California and mandating that women receive 50 percent of sales agent positions in California for the next 10 years.

1989: Campbell's appeal denied; State Farm pays judgment

In 1989, Campbell's appeal was denied by the Utah Supreme Court. State Farm then paid the entire amount of the judgment, including the excess amount they previously denied to pay. Campbell proceeded to file suit against State Farm for bad faith, fraud, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

1993: Todd Hindin lawsuit over "Jewish Lawyers List"

In 1993, Todd Hindin filed a lawsuit against State Farm for allegedly keeping a list of prominent lawyers referred to within State Farm as the "Jewish Lawyers List". State Farm paid out $30 million to Todd Hindin and his clients for discrimination on the basis of religion and national origin.

May 1999: State Farm Bank Opens

In May 1999, State Farm Bank opened, operated by State Farm Financial Services, FSB, a subsidiary of State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co.

2000: State Farm Claims Payouts Exceed Premiums in Florida

State Farm said that, in Florida, it had paid out US$1.21 in claims for every dollar in premiums since 2000.

2003: Campbell v. State Farm

In 2003, State Farm had to pay out $145 million in punitive damages (later reduced by the U.S. Supreme Court) after acting in bad faith in Campbell v. State Farm.

2004: Allegations of Corporate Influence on Illinois Supreme Court

In 2004, State Farm was accused of leveraging its influence and financial contributions to nonprofits, allegedly playing a role in the appointment of a justice to the Illinois Supreme Court. The justice then joined four other state justices in overturning a billion-dollar judgment against State Farm.

2005: State Farm awarded in civil RICO suit

In 2005, State Farm was awarded over $15.4 million in a civil RICO suit involving alleged medical fraud by Arnold Lincow and others, who were accused of inflating medical bills.

2006: State Farm faces claims after Indiana hailstorm

Following the Good Friday 2006 hailstorm in Indiana that resulted in over $1 billion in property damages, State Farm faced approximately 50,000 claims for damage, out of which it rejected more than 7,000 claims. Joseph Radcliff reported State Farm to the Indiana Department of Insurance.

2006: Rigsby Sisters File Qui Tam Suit

In 2006, two former State Farm claims adjusters, sisters Cori and Kerri Rigsby, acted as whistleblowers and filed a qui tam suit against State Farm under the False Claims Act.

2007: CNN Investigation Reports on Car Insurance Claim Practices

A 2007 investigation by CNN reported that major car insurance companies, including State Farm, were increasingly fighting claims of those alleging injury.

March 2008: Attorney Pleads Guilty in Bribery Case

In March 2008, plaintiff's attorney Richard F "Dickie" Scruggs pleaded guilty for his role in trying to pay Judge Henry Lackey of Mississippi a US$50,000 bribe for a favorable ruling in a related case involving a US$26.5 million settlement after Hurricane Katrina.

2008: John McGee sues State Farm

In 2008, John McGee sued State Farm for wrongful denial of medical claims, denying him revenue he was entitled to for rendered treatments. He alleged that false examinations were done by State Farm to cut off benefits, resulting in denied claims. McGee's claims were dismissed.

2009: State Farm Florida Considers Withdrawing from Property Insurance Business

In early 2009, State Farm Florida offered to withdraw from writing property insurance business in Florida after state regulators refused to approve a 47% property rate increase. State Farm has since decided to remain in Florida, although with a reduced amount of property policies.

2010: State Farm and Renaissance Jointly Form DaVinci Reinsurance Ltd.

In 2010, State Farm and Renaissance jointly formed DaVinci Reinsurance Ltd., which insured more than 3.5 million homes in 2010.

June 2011: "Get to a Better State" Campaign Premieres

In June 2011, State Farm premiered its "Get to a Better State" campaign, focusing on humor out of commonly faced problems.

December 15, 2011: State Farm Transforms Logo

On December 15, 2011, State Farm transformed its interlocked tri-oval logo into a contemporary one.

2011: Reimagining of the original "State of Unrest"

In 2011, State Farm created the original "State of Unrest" commercial as part of the "State of..." campaign.

2011: "State of..." Advertising Campaign Premiered

In 2011, State Farm premiered its "State of..." advertising campaign, featuring the notable commercial "State of Unrest" with Jake from State Farm.

2011: Weezer Cover of State Farm Jingle

In 2011, a cover of the State Farm jingle "Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there" was released by Weezer.

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January 1, 2012: New Logo Introduced

On January 1, 2012, State Farm's new logo was introduced to celebrate the company's 90th anniversary.

2013: Rigsbys Win Fraud Case

In 2013, the Rigsbys won the fraud case focused on one Mississippi home.

February 2014: State Farm Policy and Account Statistics

February 2014 figures show State Farm servicing 80 million policies in the United States and Canada, including over 44 million for automobiles, 27 million for fire, 7 million for life, and over 2 million bank accounts.

2014: State Farm Sells Operations in Canada

In 2014, State Farm sold its operations in Canada to Desjardins Group, which continued to use the State Farm name.

2014: State Farm Releases Critically Acclaimed Commercial

In late 2014, State Farm released a critically acclaimed commercial showing a man who says that he will "never" do something, only to do all of those.

January 1, 2015: Canadian Policies Underwritten by Desjardins Group

On January 1, 2015, Canadian policies were transferred to be underwritten by Desjardins Group, while still using the State Farm name.

May 2015: Variation of "State of Unrest" Premiered with The Coneheads

In May 2015, a variation of the "State of Unrest" commercial premiered, starring The Coneheads from Saturday Night Live, with Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin reprising their roles.

July 15, 2015: State Farm ordered to issue refunds for overcharging customers

On July 15, 2015, an administrative law judge ordered State Farm to issue refunds and reduce rates after being found guilty of overcharging customers by $85 million for homeowners insurance.

2015: Cooks sue State Farm over unpaid claim

In 2015, Charles and Bernadette Cook sued State Farm after the insurer refused to pay the awarded amounts related to an accident with an uninsured motorist, leading to a settlement of $650,000.

2015: State Farm Releases The Hoopers Commercials

In 2015, State Farm released The Hoopers, a series of commercials focusing on a family, including NBA players such as Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan, Kevin Love, Kevin Garnett and Damian Lillard.

2016: U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Verdict

In 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the verdict in the Rigsbys' fraud case against State Farm, resulting in a $100 million settlement.

October 2017: State Farm accused of underpaying claims after Tubbs Fire

Following the Tubbs Fire in October 2017, a large number of people claimed that State Farm refused to pay them in full. To get their full payout, they had to create a detailed, item-by-item list of everything that was lost, or their payout was reduced by 25%.

December 2, 2017: State Farm Employee and Agent Count

As of December 2, 2017, State Farm had 70,000 employees and 19,000 agents.

2017: State Farm Announces Facility Exit Plan

In 2017, State Farm announced its plan to exit 11 facilities in the United States to streamline and improve processes.

2018: State Farm Canada Rebranded to Desjardins Insurance

In 2018, State Farm Canada was officially rebranded to Desjardins Insurance through Desjardins Insurance Agents.

2018: Shannen Doherty awarded damages in lawsuit against State Farm

In 2018, actor Shannen Doherty was awarded $6.3 million in damages by a federal jury in Los Angeles in a lawsuit against State Farm. The lawsuit claimed State Farm failed to adequately compensate Doherty for damage to her Malibu home caused by a California wildfire.

2019: Darryl Williams files discrimination lawsuit against State Farm

In 2019, Darryl Williams, an African American property owner, filed a discrimination lawsuit against State Farm, seeking class action certification, alleging unfair treatment based on his race.

2019: Transition Completed

In 2019, the whole transition from State Farm in Canada to Desjardins Insurance was completed.

February 2020: Elisa Brown diagnosed with overactive bladder syndrome

In February 2020, Elisa Brown was diagnosed with overactive bladder syndrome, suffering from urinary incontinence. This was the basis for her discrimination lawsuit against State Farm, filed in July 2023.

October 2020: Lawsuits filed against State Farm after East Troublesome Fire

In October 2020, several survivors of the East Troublesome Fire filed lawsuits against State Farm, alleging underestimated rebuilding costs and delayed claim payments.

2020: Kevin Miles Takes Over as Jake from State Farm

In 2020, Kevin Miles took over the role of Jake from State Farm from Jake Stone in a series of commercials.

2020: Racial discrimination lawsuit filed against State Farm

In 2020, a lawsuit was filed describing a pattern of racial discrimination against seven agents of color by State Farm, citing a study by The Center on Race, Inequality and the Law at the NYU School of Law.

2020: State Farm Wins Webby Award

State Farm won the 2020 Webby Award for Services & Utilities in the category Apps, Mobile & Voice.

2021: Wildfires in California

California had over 15,000 wildfires from 2021 to May 2023, partially due to a dry, windy and hot climate. This contributed to State Farm's decision to cease accepting new applications in California.

May 24, 2022: State Farm ends partnership with GenderCool

On May 24, 2022, State Farm ended its partnership with GenderCool, an organization that seeks to raise awareness of "transgender and non-binary youth", after receiving backlash.

April 18, 2023: State Farm pays out after Manhattan parking garage collapse

On April 18, 2023, State Farm paid out $1.5 million to policyholders whose vehicles were damaged in a Manhattan parking garage collapse. State Farm insured 43 of the damaged cars.

May 27, 2023: State Farm ceases accepting new applications in California

As of May 27, 2023, State Farm has stopped accepting new applications for business and personal casualty insurance in California, citing rising construction costs, catastrophe exposure, and reinsurance market challenges.

May 28, 2023: State Farm Stops Issuing New Home Insurance Policies in California

On May 28, 2023, State Farm announced it would stop issuing new home insurance policies in California due to wildfire risks and surging construction costs.

July 2023: Elisa Brown sues State Farm alleging discrimination

In July 2023, Elisa Brown, a 20-year employee of State Farm, sued the company, alleging "discrimination and retaliation" because of her bladder disability.

July 19, 2023: Class action lawsuit filed against State Farm over privacy rights

On July 19, 2023, a class action lawsuit was initiated in Cook County Circuit Court against State Farm, alleging violations of Illinois privacy rights laws by individuals involved in accidents with State Farm insured drivers.

December 28, 2023: Michael L. Tipsord Retirement Announcement

On December 28, 2023, State Farm announced that Michael L. Tipsord would be retiring in 2024 and would be succeeded by Jon Farney.

2023: State Farm Top Digital Advertiser in Finance

According to a Semrush report, State Farm was the top digital advertiser in Finance in 2023.

2023: Prior Rate Increase Granted

In 2023, a 6.9% rate increase was granted to State Farm.

2024: Jon Farney to succeed Tipsord

In 2024, Jon Farney is set to succeed Michael L. Tipsord as chairman and CEO of State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company.

2024: State Farm Fortune 500 Ranking

In 2024, State Farm was ranked 39th in the Fortune 500 list of American companies by revenue, and it remains the largest property, casualty and auto insurance provider in the United States.

January 2025: Southern California Wildfires Cause Financial Strain

In January 2025, the Southern California wildfires caused financial strain for State Farm, leading to a request for an emergency rate increase.

February 2025: State Farm Requests Emergency Rate Increase in California

In February 2025, State Farm requested state regulators to approve an emergency rate increase due to financial strain caused by payouts related to the January 2025 Southern California wildfires.

May 1, 2025: Proposed Rate Hike

On May 1, 2025, State Farm is looking to implement an average rate hike of 22% which includes a 15% rise for renters and condominium owners and a 38% increase for insurance on rental dwellings.

2030: State Farm commits to reducing greenhouse gas emissions

State Farm has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030.

Mentioned in this timeline

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