Suit claims report was altered Engineering firm sued for downplaying wind

[merh]

Suit claims report was altered
Engineering firm sued for downplaying wind damage
By ANITA LEE
[e-mail]

GULFPORT - An engineering company altered a report to eliminate the significant role wind played in severely damaging the home of an elderly Gulfport couple during Hurricane Katrina, according to a lawsuit filed Friday in Chancery Court.

The Merlin Law Group is asking a judge to order the original report restored and award $5 million in damages to Hubert W. and Joyce Smith, who used retirement savings to repair their home after their insurer paid $16,000 on a policy with a total of $540,000 in coverage.

(snip)

Private insurance companies are covering only wind damage from Hurricane Katrina because their policies generally exclude coverage for damage caused by wind-driven water. The local engineer who completed the Smiths' report verified it had been altered and his signature forged, according to the lawsuit and other records obtained by the attorney who filed the suit, William B. Weatherly.

(snip)

Hood has been unwilling to discuss details of the investigation, but Weatherly said: "Some of this involves secret grand jury proceedings. It's my observation that this is being treated very seriously by (Hood's) office. I have talked to the investigators and I have talked to Jim Hood. They are going to subpoena any and all people involved and investigate thoroughly what happened here."

(snip)

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/14129097.htm

Corporate America - screw the people, full speed ahead for the profits and let the taxpayers take up the slack!
One would think the old guard of the GOP would have problems with these sentiments. :argh:

[Trillo]

1. Sounds like forgery

For most citizens, forgery results in 'criminal' prosecution.

Why not here? Why only a 'civil' lawsuit?

[stillcool]

2. standard procedure for insurance companies....

No?...forcing people to sue... to get compensation?

[merh]

3. Standard procedure?

I don't know, I only know that they have denied tens of thousands of claims.

Mine being one of them, based upon a faulty engineering report that did not evaluate all the evidence provided.

[stillcool]

15. this site has some info that might help....

http://www.badfaithinsurance.org/indexdetaillist.html

[merh]

16. thank you

:hi:

[Maddy McCall]

5. This is standard?

The original report concluded the wind had structurally damaged the house. But the second report downplays wind damage and adds references to "storm surge," including this sentence: "Due to the extent of the structural damage to the residence, the storm surge accounted for the damage to the lower two stories of the residence."

No, never on such a colossal scale have insurance companies screwed their customers. It's not SOP at all.

[stillcool]

10. My life's experience tells me otherwise...

as every time I've had a right to a claim, I have to fight for it tooth and nail.....as if I were asking for something not due me.

[Maddy McCall]

12. Anecdotal.

We're talking about three whole counties' residents being denied claims.

On the anecdotal level, I've never had to fight my insurance company to pay up when I had damage to my house or car.

[stillcool]

17. I'm glad that you've had no problems...

...but that does not negate my experience. My house had damage from a fire years ago... I was young, and ill-informed, and my lawyer was not much better,...and it was a nightmare, that took years to sort out. I now know....to document everything, and expect to deflect all kinds of assertions.

[Maddy McCall]

20. So, let's cut to the chase. Are you saying that Katrina victims shouldn't

feel "special" because you're experiences have been similar?

Are you insured in Mississippi? Are your insurance firms' subject to Mississippi Insurance Commissioners' regulations?

See, your experience is anecdotal at best. Sure, insurance companies refuse to pay sometimes.

In this case, though, thousands of homes were destroyed by the identical natural disaster, and the insurance companies conspired to identify the damage as "flooding" so that NONE of them would pay ANY of the claims.

Apples and oranges.

[stillcool]

21. ......

http://www.badfaithinsurance.org/

[Maddy McCall]

4. I JUST read that article. Absolutely diabolical.

:grr:

So now we know why Katrina, obviously a cat 5, was "downgraded" to a cat 3 before it hit shore.

Here's the most telling paragraph on how insurance cos are screwing people:

The original report concluded the wind had structurally damaged the house. But the second report downplays wind damage and adds references to "storm surge," including this sentence: "Due to the extent of the structural damage to the residence, the storm surge accounted for the damage to the lower two stories of the residence."

[merh]

6. The roof to my house was ripped off by the winds or a tornado

I have a witness that watched the roofs go before the surge came, my house was flattened and then pushed into the street by the surge.

I've been totally denied by my insurance company, based upon a report just like the one referenced in this article.

Criminal is the word for it, and that our Government, this administration, this government, refuses to hold the insurance companies responsible to their insureds, just proves that they care more about corporations than the citizens they have taken an oath to serve.

Yes, the storm was downgraded, wonder why? NOT! :grr:

[anotherdrew]

8. evey insurance company should have their assets seized

then run one big non-profit insurance for the whole country. We need to put these bastards out of work.

[anotherdrew]

7. so criminal charges will be brought against the insurance people right?

right? this engineering company didn't decide to alter and forge this report just for the hell of it...

[merh]

9. The article states that the State AG has a grand jury investigating

this, maybe criminal charges will be brought?

[anotherdrew]

11. it'd be wonderful if they can get the CEO that ordered such tactics

this kinda BS has to go right to the top with these companies.

[merh]

14. Just like everything else associated with Katrina, the news

has failed to investigate, let alone report, on this crime. Many, many adjusters have quit their jobs rather than be a part of ruin folks lives.

I dare any journalists to look at the turn over rate in the industry since Katrina and Rita.

The orders came from the top, deny them all, make them fight for what they are owed.

[salin]

13. In this era the GOP crony connected view tax payers money

as a means for their making MORE money - has nothing to do with paying for government.

[merh]

18. Grand Ole Pyramid!

It's a huge pyramid scheme, only the folks at the top make the money while the rest of the suckers pay the costs.

[salin]

19. Grand ole Ponzi scheme

indeed.