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Car insurance nightmare

July 30, 2014 by Editor

 

Maybe you all could help me…
I got a notice in the mail a few months ago saying my car insurance went from $120 a month to $390 a MONTH. Unbelievable! I did not have any tickets or claims.

After some investigation in an attempt for some remedy, I discovered that two and a half years ago a woman named Sharon A. __________ from Stevi filed a claim against us and was given money by our insurance company, Progressive. They never contacted us even though the paperwork indicates they did. The woman refused to give us her info when the incident occurred. She claims that we backed into her car. No marks lined up with our truck, and the police officer that showed up said it was “no fault.” We thought the issue was over until the outrageous increase showed up two and a half years later.
How is it an insurance company can approve a claim without our input, a TX adjuster makes a decision from Texas, and the marks on the two vehicles didn’t even match? There was snow on the ground and it appeared she slid into us. Slide marks in the snow.
We filed a fraud complaint with the Progressive insurance company and received no remedy. We contacted the MT Commissioner of Securities & Insurance to file a complaint. They investigated and found all the insurance company’s papers in order supposedly, so they offered no remedy either. We filed a complaint against Progressive with the Consumer Affairs. Does anyone read those reviews?
I contacted our current insurance agent who also offers no remedy. He explains some mathematical calculation for the increase that no insurance agent really understands either.
What is wrong with this picture? The regular joe gets screwed by an insurance company who pays a fraudulent claim to a woman to get her scratches buffed out and gets a “free” rental car for the day. Now we get a monthly bill over three times the bill we had before. Is this right?
Where is our remedy in this? Not with Progressive! Not with the government. Where is the justification for the bureaucracy called Office of the Montana State Auditor? Where is the accountability in the insurance industry? Who does this woman know that got her a claim and all the right paperwork filed to cover everyone’s butts?
What is our remedy here? Since there is no remedy with Progressive, my agent, Sharon A. _________ from Stevi, or the government, I submit this issue to you, the people.
Do we just continue to roll over and let the big guys do what they want to the people? What?
I am not advocating violence! I am advocating for win-win exchanges with real people. I could have paid this woman to get her car buffed and not had this outrageous insurance bill! That would have been win-win! One letter to the editor recently said, “Build bridges one person at a time.” That is win-win!
Chris Martin
Hamilton

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Filed Under: Opinion

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