Posted On: March 10, 2006, 4:58 pm CST

Posted By: Adjuster

I know that this is about 6 weeks after the posting but if djean is still having problems with the FIG adjuster, I suggest he get a Texas Proof of Loss form, fill it out for policy limits, sign it before a Notary Public (both Mr. and Mrs. if married and community property, then send it by regular mail with a proof of mailing to some FIG agent in Alaska or to the address on his policy jacket. These things are mailed to Home Offices all the time and get lost. If they can't find it in 91 days in order to reject it, he can then file suit to execute the properly sworn Proof.

You will find that most major insurance companies have fired or put out to pasture all of the experienced people so they are now run by the opposite. FIG, for example, has raided Progressive Insurance for their "new" management people for their Property Claims Division. To show how smart this is, All of these Progressive people only have experience in AUTO. If anybody reads Dilbert, that has to be inspired by Farmers!

The scenero above is not a pipe dream because a person did this to Allstate many years ago and was awarded policy limits on a moderate fire.

As far as the JD Powers thing is concerned, it is a lot of hype. On one hand Farmers wants to send out and receive perfect marks on their customer surveys. The poor adjuster has to write the estimate and then print the check and all of the correspondence in the car while twisted and an unnatural angle. If the adjuster does not do this, his files will be down graded (they are audited monthly). If they pay too much, they are also downgraded. The pressure and micro management is unreal.

If the adjuster comes up against a problem situation, there is no backing whatsoever from management. You are doomed on all sides.

Although I am an adjuster of very long standing, I would recommend to anyone who has a bad property claim with Farmers to either hire a good attorney or a Public Adjuster.