Posted On: April 17, 2006, 8:15 pm CDT

Posted By: Charles

As an insured of StateFarm, and a Katrina claiment, I wonder which of you 'POSTING' can be unemotional if you lose everything and 2 friends - 1 during the "stormM and 1 later trying to save some of what was left. I had NOTHING left. Now the fault of my carrier is that it seems obvious that the claim folks should be faulted strongly for coming to conclusions based on little knowledge, experience or integrity... and that they [adjusters up to and including management and a "contracted" "consultant" or 2 not doing a complete examination of the facts---for instance, disregarding ALL wind damage!!!! 1- the 1st adjuster was a Texan who had never adjusted such cat claims, and did not call or write back after promising to call as soon as on the site of the total destroyed home[s], but someone eventually called a few months after the loss to tell me there is no claim because we "belive if 'IT ' got wet, it is ALL FLOOD. As a former insurance person, about 40 years in agency, company administration , training [many claims people, too] and with the Risk Manager designation am not only emotional but ashamed of not only what I have personally experienced but the many horrifying tales my neighbors have told me re State Farm and most of the cos. you poster have mentioned--of delays, of ridulously inadequate settlement offers. When the only agency in town represents only one company.....but you all afe likely familiar with that old non-captive saying. I am past my CSO table time of expiration but am gonnakeeponkeepinon kicking at poor,inadequte and disreputable claims handling--as I have done for several decades...all successful to date. None of you have said anything about being in a situation of total devistation that you are unable to imagine--it MUST be seen in person. I have been in many hurricanes--Katrina was a beastly cruel destroyer--I've been an agent, salesman, marketing rep etc. and an insured--and licensed all lines in about a dozen states--nothing can prepare you for going through a few blocks of ANY south Miss. towns and cities. Any thing you folks can manage in improving the entire claims operations of insurance companies, I implore you do it. It is soirely needed--regardless of the companies backing off further and further from being what we pay them to be!!