American Justice Association List of Worst Insurance Companies for Consumers

The American Association for Justice last week released a report with a list of the nation’s worst insurance companies for consumers. At the top of the list was Allstate. The list is for those insurance companies who refuse to pay just claims, employ hardball tactics against policyholders, reward executives with extravagant salaries, and raise premiums while hoarding excessive profits. The top five offenders were:

1. Allstate

2. Unum

3. AIG

4. State Farm

5. Coseco

The report was compiled over a six month period using information obtained from court documents, SEC and FBI records, state insurance department investigations and complaints, nationwide news accounts, and testimony of former insurance agents and adjusters. Allstate blames trial lawyers for making unreasonable demands, indicating that the tactics used are an effort to resist those demands.

People injured in car accidents have had a hard time reaching a reasonable setlement for what have been described as low impact soft tissue injuries or whiplash claims. Often these injuries do not show up on testing and it is only the injured party's word that is proof of the pain and injuy itself. Many insurance companies have succesfully targeted this type of claim with lower offers of settlement. Hardball tactics on these types of claims is hoped to force an injured person to take a low settlement offer. Often the only alternative for the injured inthis case is to file a lawsuit and take their case to trial.

Mike Schafer is a Louisville, KY attorney who handles accident case. For more information go to mikeschaferlaw.com