What insurance do you use, and do you like them?

YEP!!! DITTO.

And they insure overseas unlike many others.

 

My experience has been just the opposite: first with Mercury and then with State Farm, in cases where I was involved in fender benders, they rushed to settle with the other side even though it was apparent there could not be injuries.
In both cases the adjustors admitted they believed the claims for injuries were fake, but they preferred to settle because it would have cost them more to challenge them.
This in my opinion is bad business as it opens the door to more fraudulent claims that ultimately bring the cost of insurance up.
This is something insurance companies couldn't care less about, as they just pass the cost down to the consumers and in the end always come out on top.

 

State Farm for all 3 cars, including 308; homeowners, comprehensive . Same agency nearly 30 yrs., always treated us right.

I got kicked off Hagerty for 2 yrs after 330 2+2 total, SF insures 308 for full daily driver coverage with stated value replacement coverage. (based on car's MSRP new), at standard rates. Apparently, Ferraris that pop up on their computer, as my 25 yr. old 308 did, are OK with them here in TX. They were willing to write full coverage on a 550 with no probs.

I'll be eligible to go back with Hagerty for the 308 in Oct. this year but like the daily-driver freedom with SF, more from a liablity than a total-loss standpoint.

Come to think of it, I'll stick with the 308 and SF.

As we all know, what insurance cos. do varies by state.

 

We are on the same page with this issue. Many companies will just "lay down" and pay claims even when they doubt their validity. These are the companies that score high on the "Lawyer Likability" scale. They end up just passing the costs along to their customers and raising rates. Ultimately, all claim dollars come from the customers.

On the other hand, there are companies that will vigorously defend what they consider frivoulous or inflated claims against their clients. These companies do not score favorably with those wishing to make a quick buck. This leads to things like seminars on how to hammer certain companies, negative web pages, and assertions that these companies are "hard to deal with". Not hard for their customers, but hard for those who would wish them financial harm!

If enough insurers stand up to what they consider abuses, we may see a reduction in this type of activity.

Mike

 

I would again only state that if insurance companies valued the worth of injuries anywhere close to what is routinely awarded by fair juries, there would be no market for any attorney to make money by representing the injured.

For example property damage. Insurance companies pay pretty close to what the value is for a wrecked car or the value of replacement wheels when they are stolen. Usually not as much as the insured would like but close enough to where there is no use in an attorney taking the case.

Of course it is more difficult to gage the value of someone who has suffered a brain injury or has to have a back surgery due to someone elses negligence. I'm sure you would require a high number if someone asked you how much would someone have to pay you to have a fusion surgery on you back. I know I would. When insurance companies have computer programs to decide the value and not by an individual taking a look at all factors not just data entry points, I feel you lose the ability to fairly judge the value of a claim.

The most terrible stories are those by companies like Allstate when it deals with first party coverage such as uninsured motorist protection. They have a duty to their own insured and they fight tooth an nail to avoid paying their own clients. Then the insured end up having to file a bad faith claim against the company and it becomes a huge mess. I know for myself I would rather be insured by a company that if I really need the insurance for a serious injury I wouldn't have to fight to receive the benefits I have been paying for the whole time.

 

After being with State Farm since I was 16 (25 years), I had never filed a claim. At the time I had 3 cars, 2 homes, Jewelry, Artwork and an Umbrella with them. I filed one claim for under $1000 dollars and they cancelled me. **** them.

Went to Hagerty. They labeled my 328 as an "exotic", but when it hit 25 years of age it would be reclassified as a "classic" and would get a huge rate discount. 1991 rolled around and it didn't happen. They kept it with the original classification.

Now with Farmers. No bad experiences yet.

Brad

 

Brad your math is off,your car will be 25 years old in 2011,thats when you might get the discount,try then,or get a older car

 

+1.

This did not involve any of the previously named insurance companies. However, we represented a guy who was at a stop sign when he was struck from behind. He had to have a discectomy in his lower back, some sort of fusion, physical therapy, and he was out of work for 37 weeks. His injury is permanent, he is restricted from lifting anything more than 10 pounds, and he cannot return to his previous line of work which involved some lifting. The medicals were $40K and his lost wages were $20K. The guy who hit him had a minimal policy and they paid out $20K. When he went to put in a claim for underinsured with his own insurance company, they said go pound sand and offered him $0! They said all of his damages were covered by the $20K from the BI carrier, and they noticed in his driving records he had been in an accident a few years earlier and complained of some back pain so everything he claimed must be pre-existing! The guy had been able to work a full time job after the first accident, he had no limitation as to what he could lift and did not require back surgery until after the second accident. In the end, the client was awarded nearly the entire amount available through his underinsured policy. This client would have accepted half of the awarded amount and gone away, but his insurance company refused to negotiate. The client was astonished that his own insurance company fought him tooth and nail.

Best regards,
Dino

 

I have Chubb and I've been very happy. Also their policy covers track days so that is one less problem to sort out

 

USAA (30 yrs)

A very "arbitrary" company.. won't work w/ you on policies.

I'm just too lazy to change and they have paid me claims no questions asked.

 

USAA 36 years.

 

Thats exactly what my agent allows me to do also, never had a problem with them....I wouldn't even check for lower rates because they have always treated me great...

 

We cover all our cars thru Haggerty Collector Insurance. As we only drive our cars a limited amount they are more than happy to insure these types of cars. We have agreed upon values. That is not based on market value but as stated aggreed on value. You document restoration costs or costs of major repairs to increase the value. Many of my fellow collectors also have their collections covered with Haggarty. While I have not had a claim, friends have and their service was fast efficient and fair. I have been with them for 10 years and check the premium with other companies from time to time and find the premium very competative.

Howard and Candy
tr0768

 

For what it's worth, I have insured my cars over 10 years with AAA. My ex had an accident and I would say AAA was very "average" in taking care of it. A few days ago I checked with Wawanesa (www.wawanesa.com) after hearing about them from a friend who insures his Lamborghini with them.

Wow, my premium went from $2,300 on my Maranello down to $680/year and the deductible was lower at $500 vs. $1,000. My other vehicles were about the same annual rate but the difference on the Ferrari was huge (same miles, same coverage, same everything except a better deductible). Needless to say I switched immediately. The limitation with Wawanesa is they only insure vehicles up to $80K. In the new economy, that's in line with what my 550 would bring on the market. Would an umbrella policy cover anything beyond $80k for cars that are of higher value?

Just another data point,...

 

State Farm for the Ferrari for 33 years, no problem. State Farm for homeowners for about 20 years, excellent, no problem, a great agent, recently had water pipes in the house burst and they were very helpful.

GEICO for the daily drivers since 1967, also excellent, no problems, always taken good care of us.

 

Farmers for 25 years. Have had one huge wreck (major california freeway crossover) and two totals. They were very fair and reasonable with payouts. Guess it helps when you are not at fault. I'm convinced that persistence and the agent is very much key to the experience.

-mick