| New State Farm agent carrying on tradition
IRONWOOD -- The new agent heading the State Farm Insurance office in Ironwood isn't really new to the area, and, in fact, is carrying on a family tradition in the business. Pam Kauppila, who has been a State Farm agent in Marquette, will be operating full-time at the company's office in Sunnyside Plaza beginning in early May. Right now, she is working out of both offices before making the permanent move here. Kauppila's father, Ron Johnson, was a State Farm agent in Ironwood for 40 years, and her great-uncle was an agent in Iron Mountain. "A few people have asked why I'm moving here from Marquette," she said. "That's easy -- because I want to. It's a great opportunity." Kauppila says she views her work as "a mission" to provide the company's services and to help customers.
Murrieta State Farm expands hours
Murrieta State Farm Agent Scott Koth announced his office is now able to bind automobile insurance coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Koth said he is responding to the dynamics of the California marketplace and recognizes that most cars are purchased during non-traditional business hours, so it makes sense that the company be available during non-traditional hours.
To learn more call Koth at (951) 461-4979.
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Insurers must honor their commitment
Will your insurance company be there when you need it most? That's what you assume when you buy insurance. You pay a premium so that when something goes wrong, your insurance company will pay for your covered losses. Unfortunately, that is not happening in Washington state. Our system is broken. As a former senior claims adjuster for Farmers Insurance Exchange and a nationally recognized claims practices expert, I know firsthand to what lengths insurance companies will go to save money by not paying claims. Many insurance companies tie employee salaries and bonuses to practices that encourage and condone the delay, denial, underpayment and forced litigation of claims. The Insurance Fair Conduct Act, now being considered by the Washington Legislature, would make the insurance claims system more fair for consumers in Washington state.
State Farm to accelerate settlements in Mississippi
NEW YORK, March 19 (Reuters) - State Farm Mutual, Mississippi's largest insurer, said on Monday it has started reviewing claims by as many as 35.000 Gulf Coast residents whose homes were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, in order to speed up the payment process. The company said it would use criteria set out in a failed settlement of a class-action lawsuit. It said the move resulted from a deal, which makes millions of additional dollars available to homeowners in three coastal counties, between the insurer and State Insurance Commissioner George Dale. "The process will put dollars into people's hands more quickly," according to a statement read by company spokesman Fraser Engerman. State Farm said it was beginning an immediate revaluation and payment program for the claims of Mississippians whose homes had been completely destroyed by the August 2005 hurricane, the most expensive storm in history.
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