RE: state farm insurance company
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RE: state farm insurance company - 8/26/2006 5:20:06 PM
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Janice_Toll
Posts: 78
Joined: 4/19/2004
Home base: Austin, AR
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Mat,
Didn't sound like you to me! I hope there is something you can do further than just having them delete your e-mail address. Is there any way to find out for certain who actually did make the post?
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Janice R. Martin-Toll
You rest, you rust!
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RE: state farm insurance company - 8/26/2006 5:44:35 PM
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Tom_Toll
Posts: 560
Joined: 4/19/2004
Home base: Austin, AR
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Catwoman, perhaps politics, greed, and not taking responsibility for ones own decisions is the driver behind the wheel. There is a politician who is taking issue with State Farm for not paying him his policy limits for wind. I guess politicians/ attorney's think they are beyond us normal/informed folk. If ABC had investigared this properly, they might have discovered that more than whistlblowing was involved, but they won't. They have already sensationalized it, so they are through. Their story has been seen, their controversy has already been created.
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Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
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RE: state farm insurance company - 8/26/2006 5:53:50 PM
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Tom_Toll
Posts: 560
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Home base: Austin, AR
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Mat, I cannot even fathom your doing something that would destroy your found vocation. I would ask that you push ABC really hard for the persons name or e-mail address that fraudulently used your name. You may e-mail me privately on this if you wish.
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Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
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RE: state farm insurance company - 8/26/2006 6:26:14 PM
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givemeroofs
Posts: 303
Joined: 4/19/2004
Home base: Houston, Texas
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Tom_Toll
If ABC had investigared this properly, they might have discovered that more than whistlblowing was involved, but they won't. They have already sensationalized it, so they are through. Their story has been seen, their controversy has already been created.
With all due respect Tom, I disagree.
When ABC asked the necessary questions to try and counter what was claimed by the "whistle-blowers," the response from the State Farm lawyer was "I don't know."
That is not an acceptable response from the largest insurer in this country. State Farm did not even provide a staff person to make a statement. When one side of a story is presented, and the other side refuses to state their case, it looks bad. This is a large allegation and should have been defended by the carrier.
It's not like State Farm was blind sided by this story, I'm sure ABC gave them plenty of chances to respond. They could still issue a press release today....
Edit....Happy Birthday Mat, 21 is always a good one. If I had not known how old you are, I would have guessed a lot higher than 21 based on the maturity of some of your posts. Bottoms up...cheers.
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RE: state farm insurance company - 8/26/2006 6:35:11 PM
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RedSupraT
Posts: 274
Joined: 10/31/2004
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quote:
ORIGINAL: givemeroofs
quote:
ORIGINAL: Tom_Toll
If ABC had investigared this properly, they might have discovered that more than whistlblowing was involved, but they won't. They have already sensationalized it, so they are through. Their story has been seen, their controversy has already been created.
With all due respect Tom, I disagree.
When ABC asked the necessary questions to try and counter what was claimed by the "whistle-blowers," the response from the State Farm lawyer was "I don't know."
That is not an acceptable response from the largest insurer in this country. State Farm did not even provide a staff person to make a statement. When one side of a story is presented, and the other side refuses to state their case, it looks bad. This is a large allegation and should have been defended by the carrier.
It's not like State Farm was blind sided by this story, I'm sure ABC gave them plenty of chances to respond. They could still issue a press release today....
From what I've been told, ABC cut out a lot of what the SF attorney had to say.
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RE: state farm insurance company - 8/26/2006 6:35:25 PM
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GAMAR
Posts: 44
Joined: 10/4/2005
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Maybe the attorney for State Farm got Jenny Jonesed, thought he was there to discuss one subject about the work to be done then blind sided by ABC. If that were the case then all he could say is I don't know. He did look like a deer caught in the headlights.
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RE: state farm insurance company - 8/26/2006 6:44:57 PM
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mh0825
Posts: 587
Joined: 8/31/2005
Home base: Gainesville, FL
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Tom_Toll
Mat, I cannot even fathom your doing something that would destroy your found vocation. I would ask that you push ABC really hard for the persons name or e-mail address that fraudulently used your name. You may e-mail me privately on this if you wish.
I am, I posted a reply in the comments and have also sent a private email to them. I don't really think I need the email back from them telling me who it is... I have my lineup.
You'll notice a handle on CADO with the name of Gustbuster as well.
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RE: state farm insurance company - 8/26/2006 7:22:32 PM
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yebolu
Posts: 50
Joined: 2/10/2006
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Although I have never worked SF claims, I know enough about the Insurance industry to say boldly that no company that has a lot to lose like SF will degenerate to the level the Ladies are alleging. It is tantamount to committing corporate suicide and they will never do it as a policy. Whoever these two ladies are, they are certainly not doing the business of independent adjusting any favor. It's great to blow a whistle, but is it ethical to blow one when one is directly related to the "victims" and have a personal interest in the issues being alleged? Why did these "moral whistleblowers not take up the case of someone to whom they were not related nor have anything to gain if they were indeed sincere?
Reacting to the post that suggested we need as IA's boycott ABC, as a former journalist, that may not enjoy the critical mass support that will make this effective. The two suggestions I have are - to take our case to a rival network or to collectively fund a documentary or reality show that will reveal to the public our experiences with crooked insureds who defraud insurance companies and get claims paid that they are really not entitled to just to avoid bad press.
Last year in FL one of my insureds had a tile roof that was 28 years old and missing a few shingles. Yet he wanted me to replace the whole roof. When I told him that I could not do that, he asked me to take photos of his neighbor's roof which was severely damaged and in need of a replacement. I REFUSED!! He called all the Executives of the Insurance company to whine and complain. After about 58 calls within 48 hours, the company execs decided to replace the roof just so he can be a satisfied customer. Nobody puts such great customer service acts by big companies in the press. Maybe it's time we do a documentary on our side of the story.
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RE: state farm insurance company - 8/26/2006 7:28:55 PM
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rach727
Posts: 5
Joined: 1/6/2006
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I don't think the IAs need to worry about State Farm not using them anymore. Any staffer or Independent who has done work for SF understands that IAs are integral to the structure that SF CAT uses.
As for press releases, this was posted on the SF homepage this morning: http://www.statefarm.com/about/media/media_releases/twenty.asp
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RE: state farm insurance company - 8/26/2006 7:34:22 PM
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jm
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I have worked claims for 6yrs as an IA for S.F. I have never seen them treat an insured unfairly. Even when it is a questionable call, S.F. almost always falls on the side of the insured & pays. There may be other issues w the whisleblowers....
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RE: state farm insurance company - 8/26/2006 8:10:35 PM
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LarryW
Posts: 207
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Home base: Grand Bay, AL
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Having worked numerous cat assignments as a S.F. I.A., I seem to recall that everyone was required to sign confidentiality agreements relating to all paperwork and computer files.. As I further recall, last night's "documentary" indicated these two sisters were in the posession of thousands of documents in suport of their ridiculous contentions. Unless their posession of these documents is with S.F.'s written permission, I would suspect their behavior is blatantly immoral and quite possibly illegal. It is rather ironic that these two so called adjusters may have stolen proprietary and confidential information in the name of accusing someone else of immoral behavior. Perhaps the reason for the shredder was to keep policyholder information confidential as it is supposed be kept. Perhaps the sisters understood that purpose and had to make an accusation against S.F. about the shredder in order to cover the tracks of their own theft of confidential information? I wonder if they have the permission of all the policyholders whose confidential information they posess? As far as S.F. requesting multiple revisions of engineering reports, what else are they supposed to do if the first reports are obviously wrong?
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Larry Wright
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RE: state farm insurance company - 8/26/2006 8:41:21 PM
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PORTASATGUY
Posts: 338
Joined: 9/15/2005
Home base: Homeless
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Excellent point Larry!
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R. Estes
Life is short LIVE IT!
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RE: state farm insurance company - 8/26/2006 8:42:25 PM
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StormSupport
Posts: 89
Joined: 5/23/2006
Home base: Coastal VA
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Please keep in mind the society we are living in today. A hint or suggestion is enough for the media to jump on something and whether or not the thing is true, the damage has been done. There are scandals all over the place.
We're in a society that loves a scandal, loves gossip, and quickly escalates to a "mob" mentality, ready to throw stones or kick anyone, even before any misbehavior is proven. It’s no longer "Innocent until proven guilty". The thought process has become blame, accuse, and lynch.
Look at any of the public posts anywhere and people are angry and blaming anyone for everything from the weather to the price of a loaf of bread. Seems to me we are in a society looking to blame anyone else, hoping to absolve themselves of any personal responsibility for any aspect of their lives.
So of course everyone who has the ability to read and type will jump on the bandwagon and blame SF or Bush or Abraham Lincoln or any other entity/person they can, and let their chip on their shoulder become heavier, the resentment grow and perpetuate the "global rage" that prevails.
The injury to the entire industry by simply suggesting any misconduct undermines lifetimes of good workdone by many. There is a loss of faith and trust, and everyone suffers. Everyone from the top CEO to the clerk in the offices. The insured suffers, the public suffers, and then blames. It’s a trickle down theory. It hits the fan and everyone is splattered.
I do wish to remind that we are in a public forum, not someone's den discussing the industry. Everyone associated is under scrutiny, especially now when the general public has the ropes, tar, feathers and all the other tools needed and is looking to find anyone to blame and/or lynch. Please keep that in mind when posting. Maybe its time to band together as a 'family", put on your Sunday best and graciously smile and refuse to perpetuate gossip and rumor. (Just a thought)
(Matt, on a personal note, I don't know you, but I've read your posts and know that you've been a dedicated pillar within the Claims Mentor arena, and I'm sorry that this attack has been perpetuated on you. It’s a pathetic display of someone's demented core to do this to you.)
(and that's my .02 worth)
~M~
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RE: state farm insurance company - 8/26/2006 10:11:23 PM
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mh0825
Posts: 587
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Home base: Gainesville, FL
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Why would ABC air this information and take these 2 people's story for granted and not do their own research? I was unable to attend this documentary and haven't read up completely on the issue but it would seem a station like ABC would have taken the time to research and find out if the two adjusters stories hold any truth. Or is this one of those stories to boost ratings before sweeps week and they don't care if it holds any truth?
(Dave - Thanks for your kind comments as well as everyone elses. For those that didn't have kind words to say about me, I ask that they send their questions and comments directly to me instead of jumping to conclusions.)
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RE: state farm insurance company - 8/26/2006 10:34:06 PM
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RandyC
Posts: 62
Joined: 12/30/2005
Status: offline
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I haven't seen this ABC hatchet job, but I've watched the media prostitute themselves more and more the last few years. You know, if you were evil personified and wanted to take down an insurance company that was both large and close to the top of the good ones, who would you target? It might well be State Farm. If you wanted to take down a claims professional by making him appear to trash the industry, you might look for one that has done more than most to make it better. You might go after Mat Houchens.
Times are changing in America. Values that once seemed unquestionable are now readily discarded. We actually discuss whether torture is okay. We no longer require due process or even tested evidence to condemn people.
I don't mean to be melodramatic, but we've just got our feet wet in the ooze and slime of darkness that has been creeping up on us for a while.
Maybe I overstate what is happening here, but you might not feel that way when it is your name that is abused like Mat's was, or if you've work for State Farm and know how they go the extra mile to do what's right for their insureds.
Individually, we can't stop evil...but we can refuse to be a part of it. We can stand against it when we see it. All of us cause some small harm to others by our mistakes and misunderstandings; that is part of being human, but in my mind the lowest thing one can do to another is to intentionally attack their character with lies and fabrications. It sends a shiver down my spine.
Randy R. Cox
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RE: state farm insurance company - 8/26/2006 10:38:37 PM
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PORTASATGUY
Posts: 338
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Home base: Homeless
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It would be nice to see the IP address of the person who posted this, THEN you could track the perputrator. I bet they will not be able to provide an IP address.
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R. Estes
Life is short LIVE IT!
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RE: state farm insurance company - 8/27/2006 1:00:40 AM
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JimS
Posts: 16
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Home base: Bastrop, TX
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State Farms Response:
ABC’s 20/20 Mischaracterizes State Farm’s Claims-Handling Process
Bloomington, Illinois, August 25, 2006 – State Farm
State Farm® is outraged by a misleading story aired on this evening’s ABC 20/20 program and by depictions made by two external independent claims adjusters, Cori Rigsby Moran and Kerri Rigsby. The story mischaracterizes State Farm’s claims handling process in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.The ABC report alleged that engineering reports were altered to deny claims. “How the program characterized State Farm’s claims handling is grossly unfair,” said Susan Q. Hood, claims vice president, State Farm Insurance. “The fact is that we sought engineering reports in about 1100 cases, less than two percent, of the more than 84,700 property claims that we handled in the state of Mississippi. We issued payments on more than 60 percent of those claims in which engineers were involved. And in the claims where engineers were involved, we paid far more on homeowner claims than we did on National Flood Insurance Program claims. To be precise, we paid more than $26.5 million in homeowner claims and only $3 million in National Flood Insurance Program claims.” “This evening’s report inaccurately portrays State Farm’s claims handling policies and our commitment to our policyholders,” said Hood. “Our claims associates are committed to operating at the highest level of business and ethical standards. State Farm is committed to paying what we owe, promptly, courteously, and efficiently.” In Mississippi, where the ABC story focused, State Farm paid out more than $1.1 billion in auto, homeowners, and commercial claims. It also paid out more than $790 million in national flood insurance claims for the federal government. Less than two weeks ago, a federal court ruled that almost all of the damage caused to a coastal home in Pascagoula, Miss., was due to flood not wind. The vast majority of the claims in dispute are also situated along the coast. In the segment, ABC’s Brian Ross shared documents (from among documents shared with Ross by Rigsby and Moran) with attorney Wayne Drinkwater, who represents State Farm in Mississippi, saying the documents demonstrated that there were conflicting engineering reports and that State Farm denied claims. One claim shown to Mr. Drinkwater belongs to a Biloxi, Miss., policyholder who, despite ABC’s and the two external independent claims adjusters’ assertions, did receive payment and has declared that he is satisfied with his payment and the way his claims were handled by State Farm. The two women also alleged that State Farm had shredded documents. Like all other large companies and government entities, State Farm has a records management program, which among other things protects the privacy of its customers and appropriately maintains records for regulatory and tax purposes. State Farm has tried to meet with the two women adjusters who appeared in the ABC 20/20 segment to discuss their concerns. They have refused to do so, despite repeated requests. They are represented by attorney Richard Scruggs. State Farm handled more than 295,000 property claims and paid (not including payments made under the National Flood Insurance Program) more than $3.1 billion as a result of Katrina. Thousands of State Farm agents and employees from around the country and Canada joined the thousands of agents and employees who already live in the gulf to respond to these storms. “We dedicated these kinds of resources to handle and pay claims, not deny them.” said State Farm vice president Mike Fernandez. State Farm has been working for months with, and providing documents to, the Mississippi Attorney General’s office and the U.S. Attorney’s office and continues to cooperate with Mississippi and federal officials as they investigate these and other allegations. “What’s so often ignored is that we have thousands of dedicated people, some of whom suffered their own losses at the hand of Hurricane Katrina, who have worked extremely hard in a professional and ethical way to resolve each claim consistently and in accordance with our policies and our commitment to our policyholders,” said Hood. State Farm is a mutual insurance company, not a publicly-traded company. It has been the largest insurer of cars in the U.S. since 1943 and the largest insurer of homes since 1964. It also offers a number of other financial services.
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RE: state farm insurance company - 8/27/2006 2:02:42 AM
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Gale
Posts: 739
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Home base: Murray, KY
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That was a good rebuttal.
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RE: state farm insurance company - 8/27/2006 5:57:56 AM
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catwoman
Posts: 45
Joined: 7/12/2005
Home base: Mobile, Alabama
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Yes it was, but how many people will believe it? The media has turned all big business
into the enemy of the people. Forget the fact that big business employs them , pays taxes, blah blah blah , not going into my conservative rant..
I would love to see a program exposing the real problem, I have found the many insureds do not read their policy. I have dealt with many that did not even understand the deductible! They sit in front of their agent nodding their head, while he is explaining their coverage, When he ask if they have any questions, they say no. They write the check and "poof" they have the insurance that their mortgage company requires. When a storm comes they not only want payment for everything, whether its covered or not, because they do not understand their policy. They need to do a show on how important it is to know what you are paying for.
The Sun Herald stated that these girls have a new job, they are consulting for various attorneys in lawsuits against insurance companies. I suppose ,the fact that they can select the print option on "sorted" and "handpicked" information, now makes them experts on fraud. In this same article they (the sisters) state that it took them a weekend to print out all of the information, that they had the help of 3 friends, and that they told their supervisor what they had done and continued to work there a while longer...before being let go. . Okay I have just took a chuck out of the hand that feeds me , I tell them, and they keep me around for a while? Give me a break! The sad thing is that , when and if these girls are proven wrong, there will not be coverage of it in any media forum.
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