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West Palm Beach FL (PRWEB) December 22, 2011

New York?s recent ranking of automobile insurance companies — noting how many complaints had been submitted against them and how many were resolved in favor of consumers — is not only a commendable effort, but one that should be replicated by all other states, says Florida insurance attorney Patrick J. Tighe of X1LAW.com.

The New York report — ?2011 Annual Ranking of Automobile Insurance Complaints? — was published in December by that state?s Department of Financial Services. It ranks 179 automobile insurance companies that operate in New York, giving each a ?complaint ratio,? — the number of upheld complaints as a percentage of the insurer?s overall in-state private passenger auto insurance business. Insurers with the fewest upheld complaints per million dollars of premiums appear at the top of the list. Those with the highest complaint ratios are ranked at the bottom.

The results show that the biggest insurers in New York have much room for improvement in how they serve customers. The largest automobile insurer in the state, Geico General Insurance Company (an average of $ 1.28 billion in New York premiums for 2009 and 2010) ranked 66th, with 20 of 238 complaints to the Department of Financial Services upheld. The second largest auto insurer, Allstate Insurance Company (nearly $ 1.2 billion in premiums), fared even worse, at 130th, with 170 of 1,350 complaints upheld. Another well-known insurer receiving a middling score was State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, ranking 68th.

?This is exactly the kind of detailed, irrefutable data consumers need to see before they put their money — and perhaps their future — behind an automobile insurer,? says Tighe, who has been assisting Florida residents in insurance lawsuits and other claims for more than a decade. ?New York has always been among the most proactive and consumer-friendly of insurance regulators, and it?s time that Florida and other states follow its example. Letting consumers see which auto insurance companies are getting the most complaints, and which are having the most complaints against them upheld, is important step in enabling consumers to pick insurers that truly will protect them, and avoid those that may not.?

All states, says Tighe, have a department or agency that regulates insurers, yet most are relatively quiet, rarely, if ever, releasing detailed data on automobile insurance complaints, which include issues such as delays in the payment of no-fault or personal injury protection (PIP) claims, or insurers? failure to renew policies.

?New York is the exception to the rule,? says the veteran trial lawyer. ?They are consumer-focused, and they do it right. Their report gives you numbers you can rely on. Every insurance department in the country needs to the same.?

Ranking at the top of the New York list was the Erie Insurance Company, with 0 upheld complaints and $ 64 million in average annual premiums written directly in the state. The complete report is available online at http://www.dfs.ny.gov/insurance/auto/rank/auto2011.pdf.

?Insurance companies sell policies to consumers, hold their customers? money, and are supposed to use those funds to pay claims,? says Tighe. ?They are custodians and trustees of our money, which is why they are regulated. But that regulation needs to have some bite, and regulators need to be transparent. Because it is that transparency that keeps insurance companies honest — and keeps consumers protected.?

About X1Law P.A.

For over a decade, Florida personal injury and insurance lawyer Patrick J. Tighe has been protecting the rights of consumers, and those who have suffered catastrophic injury in automobile accidents, motorcycle accidents, and other life-changing events. In that time, he has represented — and come through for — thousands of individuals in insurance claims that were wrongly denied, delayed, or undervalued. Earlier in his career, Tighe spent nearly ten years working on ?the other side,? defending insurers in injury lawsuits. That experience gave him invaluable insight on how big insurers approach and handle insurance claim cases — insight that is leveraged every day to bring results, and justice, for clients.

CONTACT:

Patrick J. Tighe

X1LAW, P.A.

(561) 537 5059

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Melbourne, FL (PRWEB) November 23, 2011

During the holiday months, many people take time to think about what is most important to them in life. Their family, friends and personal well-being are likely at the top of the list, but are all of these protected? This year, the team at Coverage Pro Insurance wants local residents to consider how obtaining Florida life insurance could be a great gift for individuals to give themselves and their loved ones.

It may not come in a pretty box or wrapped in a bow, but the experts at Coverage Pro Insurance know that Florida life insurance can be gift-worthy due to the following facts:

Parents spend so much time worrying about the welfare of their children, but what if a tragic event occurred and the family?s primary bread-winner was no longer able to provide financial support? Life insurance can ensure that a family can focus on recovering from the event, instead of worrying about how it will manage to get by financially. It can provide a type of security for children?s futures that some people may argue is priceless.
A life insurance policy can give an individual the peace of mind that he or she will be able to give back to people or organizations that have helped shape his or her life. This is because the beneficiary of a life insurance policy doesn?t necessarily have to be an immediate family member. It can be any person, an organization or perhaps a charity.
Some people may not realize how much ?unfinished business? they would have if they were to pass away unexpectedly. The people who co-signed the deceased?s loans would be left responsible for any outstanding debt, but individuals can ensure that this does not happen by obtaining a life insurance policy.

The team at Coverage Pro Insurance knows that sometimes peace of mind can be the greatest gift an individual can give or receive. Therefore, this holiday season, the experts at Coverage Pro Insurance want to help local residents find the right Florida life insurance policy for them and their families. Whether term- or whole-life, purchasing any level of coverage can be better than leaving the most valuable things in life unprotected.

About Coverage Pro Insurance:

Coverage Pro Insurance has brought security and peace of mind to thousands of policyholders by offering quality coverage that meets the customer’s specific needs. Our agency family includes experienced and licensed professionals serving clients with personal and courteous service. Our agency is committed to satisfying the insurance needs of individuals, families, groups and businesses through the use of insurance products and services that are second to none. We offer most types of insurance, including home, auto, boat, business and life.

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West Palm Beach, FL (PRWEB) November 03, 2011

If the promise of insurance is to protect — not just those injured in automobile accidents but those who may have been responsible for the harm — then insurers have a strange definition of ?protection,? says Florida insurance attorney Patrick J. Tighe of X1LAW.com. The veteran trial lawyer is calling for important changes to Florida?s no-fault insurance law, requiring full disclosure of the process — and risks and inconveniences — an insured may face as a lawsuit defendant.

?I see it all the time in the courtroom — a defendant who never realized that when he or she was sued it would be them, and not the insurance company, sitting day after day in court, having to defend the suit and potentially be on the hook for any judgment in excess of policy limits,? says Tighe, who has been assisting Florida residents in insurance lawsuits and other claims for more than a decade. ?When the lawsuit is filed, every one of these defendants gets a letter from their insurer reassuring them, telling them that the company will protect them. But these letters — no matter who the insurer — almost never spell out everything that will be required of the defendant if the case goes to trial. Instead, they give a false sense of security and it?s time that we change that.?

The problem, says the Florida insurance lawyer, is that the defendant rarely realizes — until they are actually in the courtroom — what time, effort, and ultimately expense being named in a lawsuit entails. As a result, says Tighe, the insured is less apt to push for a settlement, which often can prove a faster, less expensive way to resolve an automobile accident lawsuit.

?If insurance customers knew that it would be them, and not the insurance company, sitting alone in that courtroom, missing work, potentially a judgment that goes over their policy limit, we would see a lot more customers pushing their insurers to resolve cases outside the adversarial context of a courtroom,? says Tighe. ?That would work in all parties? favor, as it would be a lot less time consuming and costly all around.?

Instead of cursory assurances of ?protection,? insurance companies should be required to send a uniform disclosure notice whenever a customer is sued as a result of an auto accident. ?It?s a simple step that would result in defendants better understanding what lays in front of them, and able to have a voice in whether a case goes forward or not,? says Tighe. ?In the end, we don?t just get faster, fairer results that are less taxing on everyone, but we free up increasingly stressed court resources for the cases that truly need to be resolved before judge and jury.?

A uniform disclosure requirement would be easy to implement, too, says Tighe. ?It?s a simple change to Florida?s no-fault insurance law,? the trial lawyer notes. ?But the results would be significant: Defendants who are better informed plaintiffs who have a simpler path to recovery, and court time that is freed up for those who truly need it. This is a reform with no downside — and one that should have been implemented long ago. Fortunately, it?s never too late to do the right thing. So let?s do it now.?

About X1LAW P.A.

For over a decade, Florida personal injury and insurance lawyer Patrick J. Tighe has been protecting the rights of consumers, and those who have suffered catastrophic injury in automobile accidents, motorcycle accidents, and other life-changing events. In that time, he has represented — and come through for — thousands of individuals in insurance claims that were wrongly denied, delayed, or undervalued. Earlier in his career, Tighe spent nearly ten years working on ?the other side,? defending insurers in injury lawsuits. That experience gave him invaluable insight on how big insurers approach and handle insurance claim cases — insight that is leveraged every day to bring results, and justice, for clients.

CONTACT:

Patrick J. Tighe

X1LAW, P.A.

(561) 537 5059

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