Met with a very nice lady and her husband yesterday. Rear ended almost two years ago. Herniated discs in her neck and over $100,000 in medical expenses for surgery. The defendant was insured by one of the major insurance carriers.

Here’s the drill they used:

Provide no information TO the claimant, only ask for information FROM the claimant;

Change adjusters at least four times during the claim…each time an adjuster comes on board ask for all of the information all over again;

Keep asking for more information but PROVIDE no information;

Then, with two weeks to go before the statute of limitations expires, tell the claimant “if we don’t have everything we (keep) asking for in two weeks we are closing your file because your statute of limitations will expire.”

That’s right. These nice folks who got hit didn’t know that there is a two year limit for filing a lawsuit in Virginia. If you don’t file your claim in court in two years it is “forever barred” as they say.

Did the insurance adjuster do anything wrong? NO! The insurance adjuster working on your claim owes you NO duty. They work for the insurance company and are bound to act in the best interests of their company and their insured.

So, no, the adjuster is under no duty to tell you about things like the statute of limitations. They don’t give you legal advice.

That’s why I write the Virginia  Accident book that I do, record the CD’s and DVD’s and created the most extensive legal information website in Virginia.

Just so you’d know (and won’t have to rely on the insurance adjuster.)

If you are insured by Allstate, Unum or AIG, you should be aware that your insurer has made the top ten list of worst insurance companies in America based on a study conducted by the American Association for Justice (AAJ).  Researchers investigated thousands of SEC and FBI records, state insurance department investigations and complaints, news accounts, former insurance agents and adjusters’ testimonies and court documents.

According to the AAJ report, “The Top Ten Worst Insurance Companies in America,” insurance companies often put profits over policyholders.  The report states that “the name of the game is deny, delay, defend—do anything, in fact, to avoid paying claims.”

The list of insurance companies includes homeowners and auto insurers, life insurers, disability insurers and health insurers.  The company that was identified as the worst of them all was Allstate.  In the report it states that Allstate’s approach to claims is “a combination of lowball offers and hardball litigation.”  A former insurance adjuster with the company stated that they were instructed by supervisors to lie.

Ready for the list of the worst insurers in the country?  Here you go:

1.    Allstate
2.    Unum
3.    AIG
4.    State Farm
5.    Conseco
6.    WellPoint
7.    Farmers
8.    UnitedHealth
9.    Torchmark
10.  Liberty Mutual

For information on how you can avoid becoming a victim of insurance company’s bad tactics, read our blog, “What You Can Do If the Insurance Company Becomes Difficult to Work With.”

Insurance companies are increasingly using more tactics to increase their bottom lines and hold onto more of their money.  Due to the current economy, insurance companies are employing strategies that can harm consumers.  According to the American Association for Justice’s (AAJ) report, “Tricks of the Trade: How Insurance Companies Deny, Delay, Confuse and Refuse,” the insurance industry is attempting to make money at the expense of consumers.  The report identified some of the following insurance company tricks:

1.    Denying Claims: Even some of the large insurance companies, such as Allstate, AIG, and State Farm, have been denying valid claims as a way to boost their bottom lines.  Insurers have even been known to reward employees for successfully denying claims.

2.    Delaying Until Death: Insurance companies continue to delay claims in the hopes that you will eventually give up, and many people do.

3.    Confusing Consumers: Have you ever tried to read an insurance contract?  Insurance companies regularly use agreements that are incomprehensible to consumers.

4.    Discriminating by Credit Score: Credit reports are frequently used to determine premiums and insurance approvals.  Unfortunately, with the current economic conditions, many consumers who once had good credit now have low scores.

5.    Abandoning the Sick: Policyholders who are the most vulnerable and in need of medical coverage have been the targets of insurance companies.  Some insurers have been found to offer bonuses to employees who meet “cancellation goals.”

6.    Canceling for a Call: Very few people realize that insurance companies often view a telephone inquiry about possibly making a claim the same as they do actual claims.  When it comes time to renew, some of these companies are refusing to do so based on a phone inquiry.

Do your homework before applying for an insurance policy, by getting your copy of Ben Glass’s book, The Ultimate Guide To Buying Car Insurance In Virginia.