Trial lawyers list ‘worst’ insurers

The Charleston Post and Courier reported on the AAJ’s finding of the “worst insurance companies for consumers.” The article again repeated that Allstate Insurance Co. was found the worst insurance company based on its strategy to “force consumers to accept lowball claims or face its ‘boxing gloves,’ an aggressive strategy designed to deny claims at any cost.”

Allstate spokesman Rich Halberg told the San Diego Union-Tribune that he was “not surprised that we’re targeted by trial lawyers and personal-injury attorneys, since we’re at the forefront of trying to reduce unreasonable claims made by attorneys during litigation.” That sounds very similar to the comment made by Allstate spokesman to the Sun Herald. I suppose Allstate PR people have the same script.

Even if attorneys don’t like Allstate, Halberg told the Union-Tribune, “the numbers show that our customers do. They renew their policies at high percentages, and we attract millions of new customers every year.”

Also noted was State Farm, which, like Allstate, has employed McKinsey consultants and drawn fire for its denials of claims related to Hurricane Katrina.

Liberty Mutual, another company that hired McKinsey to develop what the AAJ report called “aggressive tactics” to deny claims.

A spokesman for the industry-backed Insurance Information Institute defended the companies’ practices in general and accused trial lawyers of being responsible for driving up the cost of insurance for consumers.