South Carolina DOI Sees $10 Million to Policyholders After Complaints about Insurers

The South Carolina Department of Insurance in 2022 returned $10.3 million to policyholders who filed complaints about insurance companies, the department said in a bulletin Tuesday.

The department resolved some 4,500 complaints last year, with an average payment of $2,294.

“Part of the SCDOI’s mission is to uphold the insurance statutes of South Carolina and ensure that consumers have their claims resolved fully and fairly,” Michael Wise, acting director of the DOI, said in a news release.

When an insured files a complaint with the DOI’s Office of Consumer Services, the office investigates to determine if the insurer complied with state laws and the terms of the policy.

To file a complaint, consumers can submit a complaint form online.

The department did not indicate which insurance companies in 2022 made the payments to resolve the complaints. In 2019, the most recent breakdown available, the most complaints about property insurance matters were for: State Farm Fire & Casualty Co., with 52 complaints; Allstate Vehicle & Property Insurance Co., with 21 complaints; United Property & Casualty Insurance, with 15; Auto Owners Insurance Co., with 14; and Liberty Insurance, with 14.

State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive led the pack on automobile insurance complaints in 2019, the DOI website shows.

Topics Carriers South Carolina