When motorists file a claim, they expect their coverage provider to meet all of its contractual obligations. However, for some Colorado vehicle owners, this doesn’t always ring true. The state’s Division of Insurance received more than 4,200 complaints during the 2010-11 fiscal year, and the reason for these grievances range from denial of claims to discrepancies over premiums. Of the official complaints that were made between July 2010 and July 2011, more than 50 percent were related to auto insurance.
Making complaints to the Division allows policyholders to rectify mistakes made by insurers, and compiled complaint data provides other residents with useful insight into how well specific companies handle claims. The grievances that were made during FY 2010-11 resulted in more than $11.7 million in recovered benefits and a wealth of valuable information.
The influx of claims that led to many of the mistakes during the previous fiscal year has been largely accredited to poor weather that has been brewing in the Centennial State, giving drivers all the more reason to investigate the quality of their insurer before purchasing a policy to avoid filing any complaints in the future.
Summer months in Colorado are often accompanied by sudden storms, hail, and heavy rain that can do serious damage to automobiles. These losses are typically covered by a person’s comprehensive coverage, but in order to make an accurate claim and avoid any disputes, the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association encourages residents to make accurate records of all damages, which include pictures, detailed inventories, and repair estimates. But despite a vehicle owner’s best efforts, sometimes mistakes are still made by insurers, and complaints will have to be filed.
When vehicle owners buy Colorado auto insurance, they usually compare an assortment of quotes in order to get the lowest possible price. But while shopping around, drivers are also encouraged to research the service quality of any candidates as well. If residents know that a specific provider has a history of complaints for wrongfully denying claims or unfairly applying surcharges, they may think twice about purchasing a policy from them.
Luckily, motorists in the Centennial State can investigate the consumer complaint index provided by the Division of Insurance. This database keeps track of the number of grievances each insurer accumulates in a given year in relation to the policies that they issue to produce a complaint ratio. With this information, drivers can see which producers had the highest concentration of unsatisfied customers and avoid potential confrontations in the future.
Source: http://www.onlineautoinsurance.com/colorado/
