How many of you out there have systematically had your insurance claims denied by AFI, for something you should have been covered for? Very curious to know about any patterns.
2007-03-07 22:21:21 · 11 answers · asked by J B 2 in Business & Finance ➔ Insurance
No, not a bunch, just two and they were years apart but the treatment was the same. deny that there was coverage and then wait to see what you would do.
Do you have any idea how insurance commisioners are picked? Any decent lawyer that knows how the system works will tell you how. That is not a voted in position, it is an appointed position. and appointments are made, many times based on our lobby system. Guess who holds the fistful of dollars at the lobbying excursions? No brainer I would say.
2007-03-07 22:49:01 · update #1
When you say "systematically", that indicates that you've had a bunch of claims???
How many claims and what were the circumstances?
If the claim is legitimate and you feel you should have bee covered, file a complaint with your state insurance commission. Get an attorney and file a lawsuit for bad faith.
Additional Info - The insurance commissioners are not the ones that actually look into insurance complaints. A bunch of paid employees do that. If you have proof to back up your claim, then file a complaint. You have nothing to lose at this point since they didn't pay your claim. You still haven't said what the circumstances of the claim were so it's really hard to make a judgment on whether they were wrong or not denying the claim.
I don't know much about American Family so I don't really have an opinion on them. But if they're that bad, change insurance companies. There's not much point in having insurance that you don't feel like they're going to pay in the even of an insured loss.
But, I'll go back to my original point. Insurance companies have been sued for Bad Faith before and have lost. If you feel that they are systematically denying claims, that, to me, is bad faith. You would have to have something to back that up though. Otherwise, sue them for the amount of your claim. Again, I don't know the circumstances of your claim so I can't really tell you whether I think they were wrong or not.
2007-03-07 22:30:44 · answer #1 · answered by Faye H 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I agree with Faye. I understand you have distrust for the way insurance commissioners are chosen, but there is no use shunning a system you haven't even tried. Besides, the commissioner isn't the one to investigate consumer complaints -- this is done by highly experienced compliance investigators. If AFI denied either of your claims wrongfully, they can be ordered to pay. In most cases where the denial is wrong, the insurer will pay without the need for an Administrative Order.
So send your complaint to your state's commissioner's office. What have you got to lose? If they can't help you, you're left in the same position you are in now. A breach of contract lawsuit would be your next option, but that will be quite costly.
2007-03-07 23:06:39 · answer #2 · answered by Suzanne: YPA 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I work for American Family and have for about two years now. Within this time period, I have seen a lot of claims. Auto, Home, Life, Health, and Business, over thousands of claims. In these two years, I have seen maybe a handful of claims not paid. With some, there was no reason for American Family to pay. They were not obligated to pay, but did.
You have to realize that all companies have these issues, not just us. You don't see that because you are not with the other companies, yet. Did anyone see anything about State Farm and Katrina??? All companies have their problem areas, and a lot of that can depend on your region, your agent, and etc...
I would recommend calling your local American Family claims center and going above the claims adjuster that denied your claim. I hate to see our customers have trouble, but if you can get straight to the right person, most issues can be solved. I wish you luck in your claim.
2007-03-08 09:17:12 · answer #3 · answered by InsuranceGooRoo 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In Minnesota, if I remember correctly American Family got into a lot of trouble for denying claims and not paying out claims correctly after some significant storm damage in the southern suburbs of the Twin Cities in the late-90's.
Then Attorney General Mike Hatch hit them with some big fines and made them do a lot of extra work to justify the claims and re-adjust the claims correctly.
I've heard a lot of bad stories about American Family and claims, more than any other carrier I work with or compete against for business.
If you are unhappy with how your claim is handled by any carrier you should move your insurance immediately as long as your problem is legit. They don't deserve your business, you buy insurance for them to be their for you when you have a claim, if they can't meet your needs at claim time, move.
2007-03-08 00:49:10 · answer #4 · answered by Matt1331 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
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2016-05-23 17:18:37 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
One of their insured drivers totaled my car last year and they denied my claim because their insured driver said it was not his fault He went to court to fight the ticket, lost, and was charged $130 yet I am still hunting down an attorney who will take my case because to the attorneys there is not a lot of money to be made in my case. What ever happened to what is right and what is wrong. The other guy was at fault and I should be compensated for my loss but American Family Insurance denied me my right. They are scammers, losers, and just bad business.
2015-04-16 02:51:27 · answer #6 · answered by Betty 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry to disappoint you, but may Insurance Commisioners are in fact voted into office.
If you've had claims denied by Am Fam, they are required to provide you the details of the denial in writing, which I'm sure they did. Your policy is what they go by, and if the policy is ambiguous, it falls in favor of YOU the insured.
2007-03-09 14:49:16 · answer #7 · answered by bundysmom 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
American family in my opinion is the worst. Many years ago I had American family Insurance. I was sent a letter that I owed a certain amount of money on a premium. I called my agent to find out why they were charging me more and he never returned my call after several attempts. finally I sent the payment in so as not to let the insurance cancel, thinking that I would fight it later. two days later I had an accident. They cashed my check then refused to pay the claim saying that my insurance had lapsed. They never sent out a cancellation, nor did they stop taking premiums for several quarters. Judge for yourself how the dirty scoundrels operate.
This all happened in Wi where there home base is out of. Try fighting this in court though. they will drive you broke in the legal system just to fight you for getting what you pay for. Search somewhere else for insurance if I were you!
2007-03-07 22:38:27 · answer #8 · answered by lilredtop 1 · 2⤊ 1⤋
They are rip-off con artitists ! I had a claim where I was completely robbed of every electronic device in my home , thousands and thousands of dollars worth ! I turned my claim in to American family insurance , and due to my poor credit at the time , they denied my claim ! What a crock ! It is their policy not to insure someone or anyone that has a poor credit report ! They can turn down your claim ! Never , never use them !
2014-01-10 12:20:01 · answer #9 · answered by Allan 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is n o way to answer your question because you don't explain what kind of claim and the reason the company gives you for denial
2007-03-13 09:46:49 · answer #10 · answered by lm050254 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋