State Farm agrees to re-examine Katrina claims

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17689641/

State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. has agreed to re-examine more than 35,000 policyholder claims filed following Hurricane Katrina and to "make millions of dollars available" for additional payments, Mississippi Insurance Commissioner George Dale said Monday.

Dale said the agreement would cover homeowners, renters and commercial claims in Harrison, Hancock and Jackson counties, including those that are in mediation and those that are the subject of pending litigation.

He said that based on his agency's examination of State Farm's handling of Katrina claims and the recent withdrawal of a proposed class action settlement involving the insurer, he had convinced the company to agree to the "accelerated process to reopen and readjust all Hurricane Katrina claims upon request in the Mississippi coastal counties."

On March 12, a team of lawyers who helped negotiate the proposed settlement withdrew their request for approval by U.S. District Judge L.T. Senter Jr. The attorneys cited a legal "stalemate" and Senter's apparent reluctance to sign off on the deal.

I'd never buy these bastards insurance after I saw how they screwed over the Katrina victims weasling out of claims by saying it was all water and not wind damage.

[acmavm]

1. State Farm has always been crooked. A tree limb fell on my car

during a storm and crushed it. I guess I must have been a really bad girl because God did it. God smashed my car. Yep, it was 'an act of God'.

I don't know how they knew God was pissed and out to get me, but they did. And I didn't get a damn thing on the car. A Cutlass Supreme. That money was still owed on. (This happened back in the 80s.)

[TheManInTheMac]

5. God never did like Oldsmobiles. n/t

[Centered]

6. LOL

Welcome to DU

[CountAllVotes]

2. yep State Farm has been a crooked outfit ever since I can remember

I had my car legally parked while a work many years ago. Some retired general ran into my car as well as several other parked cars. He had State Farm for insurance and they refused to pay for the accident he caused.

I had to sue State Farm to get the money back for the repairs to my car. It was a 3 year long legal battle and I guess State Farm figured I'd just go away. However, I did not just go away, I pursued them and I finally got my restitution.

The claim should have been paid straight off and State Farm knew it! I wouldn't have them as an insurance company for anything.

I hope they rot in hell and go broke! :mad:

:kick:

[maddezmom]

3. State Farm to accelerate settlements in Mississippi

State Farm to accelerate settlements in Mississippi
19 Mar 2007 19:10:13 GMT
By Ed Leefeldt

NEW YORK, March 19 (Reuters) - State Farm Mutual, Mississippi's largest insurer, will accelerate settlements to as many as 3,500 Gulf Coast residents whose homes were destroyed by 2005's Hurricane Katrina.

The deal, announced on Monday by State Insurance Commissioner George Dale and the insurer, would make millions of additional dollars available to homeowners in three coastal Mississippi counties and bypass a court settlement that was falling apart.

"When I learned that the proposed class-action settlement had stalled, I felt it presented an opportunity to negotiate with State Farm to bring closure for coastal homeowners," Dale said.

more:http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N19293947.htm

[gratuitous]

4. "Accelerate" settlements, hrrr, hrrr, hrrr

That's funny. I usually think the word "accelerate" means to speed up. It's been, what, 18 frickin' months since Katrina hit? That's not very speedy. I wonder how many State Farm executives could go 18 months without a drink? Or a home? Or compensation of any kind?