Wesley/gail of Arizona City AZ (01/22/09) American Family Insurance raised our rates so we found another company with better rates and coverage. We contacted our agent and cancelled before the expiration date. Instead of a refund, American Family sent us a bill for 684.00. We called our agent and they said we must provide proof that we had coverage at the time of cancellation. Even through it is none of their business, we did provide the proof only to be advised that the charges are still owed. I sent a copy of the proof to American Family Insurance's main oiffice in Madison, WI but they never responded back. Now we have been turned over to collections, demanding payment. This appears to be retribution for cancelling. What are my options here?
This has caused a blackmark on our credit report which in turn does cause stress at home.
Patrick of St. Louis, MO January 5, 2009
Patrick of St. Louis MO (01/05/09) I lost my job as a real estate attorney when the market began to tank in 2006. I had a hard time finding work and now have to settle for less money just to pay bills. American family raised my car insurance premiums even though I made payment and NEVER had a claim with them.
As a result, I must find new insuracen or pay nearly 200 additional dollars per year. This practice must stop. The insurance companies need to stop using an unrelated risk index to determine policy premium rates.
Karin of Gresham, OR October 19, 2008
Karin of Gresham OR (10/19/08) My family and I have been with American Family for a long time. Just last year my children and I were hit by another American Family insured. I thought this would be okay, but started having back pain within hours after the accient. My daughter spiked a fever, I knew something was wrong. My children became fearful of the intersection where we were hit. All 3 of us went through treatment.
I am a mom of 2, a full time student who also works odd jobs and a wife. So I carry a lot. Adding pain from an accident that made getting out of bed a challenge some days was not what I needed. It added so much stress to my life, it's hard to explain. Our daughter just 4 started wetting the bed at night (cause was a kink in her back). Took more than a month to fix. After all of this (and I did get an attorney right away). American Family is only offering me 2000. WHAT!!!! Are you kidding me?
They are now stating that they have an independant witness. Funny no one pulled over at the accident scene and I was the last of our two vehicles to pull away after exchanging information.... can they pull a witness out of there back pocket? This is also the first time they have ever mentioned the witness (a year after the accident). I am just so upset. I can't make them give me the money I am owed.... Is there no consiquenses for these insurance companies that go around screwing people?
Thomas of Hobart, IN October 2, 2008
Thomas of Hobart IN (10/02/08) In July, 2006, I was rear-ended by a driver while I was stopped at a red light. There was a car in front of me. The driver who hit my car, hit it with enough force to push my car into the car in front of me, totalling my car and damaging the car in front of me. The car who hit me was insured by American Family Insurance. Inexplicably, this driver was not tested for alcohol by the police. Inexplicably, this driver was not cited for reckless driving or any other charge.
I sustained a back injury that I still suffer from more than two years later. My car was totalled, which placed both my job and my fiancee's job in jeopardy, since we both depend on that car to work. We had to rent a car to get through nearly ten days until we could replace the car. The insurance company did pay the rental and for the car eventually, but only past deadlines that caused the rental company to charge my account and create a cascade of bounced checks and bank fees.
The insurance company took more than a month to deal with the immediate problems, but my medical problems took two years to resolve. After I submitted my medical bills and lost wages, (which took me three months because I was undergoing treatment and was under incredible stress trying to work while injured), the insurance company took four months to review the claim. Then, they requested all my medical records for the last five years. I complied with this request under protest and according to the advice of my lawyer, but it took another two months to comply. The accident was in July 2006, and I had sent them all my records by April 2007. The insurance company continued to review my records for another four months after that.
Then, in August of 2007, they turned the claim over to a different adjuster, and took another seven months to review my claim. In May of 2008, they offered to settle my claim by paying my creditors directly, and essentially paying me nothing for the economic distress that had been ongoing in my life since the accident. I protested vehemently to my lawyer, who then attempted to negotiate a higher settlement.
Finally, In July 2008, just before the two year legal deadline for settleing claims, they offered me a reasonable settlement. I accepted it, and expected a check within a few weeks. Two weeks passed, and no check had been mailed to my lawyer. I called to inquire, and my lawyer said they have a process to go through, and it could take 6-8 weeks to send a check. This is a corporation with billions of dollars in assets, in an age when funds and communications can be sent at the click of a button. I was angry at this unreasonable stalling, but I waited, having no other choice. Eight weeks after the settlement, I called my lawyer again. This time, the company claimed to have mailed the check, and that the check was lost in the mail, causing them to have to cancel that check, and mail a replacement. The replacement, I was told, was mailed last week. That was two weeks ago. Still no check.
This is now ten weeks past the deadline for settling an insurance claim. I'm at my wit's end.
Sharon of Beloit, WI September 29, 2008
Sharon of Beloit WI (09/29/08) On January 20, 2006, my daughter, niece and myself were involved in an automobile accident by a motorist covered by American Family Insurance. The driver was at fault and my daghter and I suffered neck and back injuries. My xrays showed a floating bone in my neck and it my daughters whiplash never healed. She suffers to this day with migranes and has a need for massages and other relaxation methods and adjustments.
I settled my case but the adjustor did not honor our agreement. He stated that a doctor would be paid directly from them and in fact that was not the case. After calling him to inquire about the monies that the docotr did not receive being forwarded to me, he stated that the insurance company that paid the insurance company had to be reimbursed even though there was no lien from the other insurance company which was my insurance. He later called that insurance company and requested that lien (AAA).
We then began negotiations regarding my daughter's claim and he stated I needed to complete another medical release form since the one I signed earlier had expired. I was concerned about his wording and tone and phoned his supervior again regarding is deceptive practices and stated that I believed that he would request my records from before the accident. He did just that and even though there was documentation that showed my daughter's injuries would not get better, he refused to increase the settlement offer of 7,700.00. Over 3,8000 of this was then medical.
I hired an attorney who found out that even though Mr. Cary D's offers included medical amounts that had to be paid to a doctor, he had already received a release of lein from that doctor over a year earlier. After speaking with Joe F, Cary's supervisor and stated that I was going to sue American Family for both of our cases even though I had already settled, It was my concern that since they had not honored the settlement the settlement could be open again. He then decided to settle for the 7,7000.00 but since Cary was stating that the injury was preexisting since Ebony had seen the same doctor before and after the accident, but for different reasons. This meant that the entire 7,700 would go to me for Ebony as no medical bills would be paid from the injury settlement. This agreement was made in April of 2008.
I received a letter stating the lenght of time the process would take and steps that needed to be made. I was asked if I had an attorney to act for Ebony and I decided to hire the attorney that I had hired before and then fired, since she was familar with the case and had seen the medical records, etc. For sure, she could speed things up since she was familar with the case. American Family played phone tag, did not return calls and to date have not received the payment expected. I feel that I am being treated unfairly and that American Family is not acting in good faith.
I borrowed, took out payday loans, overbooked checking accounts, etc, making sure that Ebony's needs were always taken care of. We have moved and made other changes expecting to receive these funds at the time promised. Not receiving them has caused more hardships as I continue to make purchases and/or plans for repayment and when the funds are not received, more borrowing to make payments that I promised to make. This summer Ebony broke here Tibula and Fibula skating. Skating was the new sport she started since the neck injury limited what she could do. Now, we have more expenses, diapers, wipes, wheelchair is not covered by her insurance, etc. The situation is made worse we we consider that we sometimes have to count pennies to wash her soiled laundry when she has a settlement that we should have received already.
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