Missouri: 17,000 Insurance Claims Filed So Far From Joplin Tornado

The major insurance companies serving consumers in the Joplin area have received nearly 17,000 claims so far from residents and business owners with damage from the EF-5 tornado that struck the area on May 22, insurance regulators reported.

The insurance companies have reported their preliminary claims numbers to the Missouri Department of Insurance, which are as follows:

• Total claims: 16,979
• Homeowners insurance claims: 6,149
• Auto insurance claims: 8,995
• Renters insurance claims: 442
• Commercial property claims: 1,081
• Commercial vehicle claims: 312

The data come from insurance companies in Missouri that make up more than 72 percent of Missouri’s homeowners insurance market.

Gov. Jay Nixon has signed Executive Order 11-12, which forbids insurance companies from raising rates or canceling policies for consumers in Jasper and Newton counties for 30 days. The executive order could be extended.

John M. Huff, director of the Missouri Department of Insurance, visited mobile claims units set up in Joplin by insurance companies to serve consumers and businesses filing claims for tornado damage. A list of those seven insurers and the addresses of their mobile claims units is available at the insurance department’s Web site.

Also posted online are the phone numbers and Web addresses of about 50 insurance companies that serve homeowners, tenants in rental property, auto owners and business owners in the Joplin area.

The Web site also offers guidance for property owners on avoiding fraud and rip-offs at the hands of repair contractors.

Source: Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration (DIFP)

Topics Catastrophe Carriers Natural Disasters Claims Windstorm Missouri