$41M Recovered for Louisiana Consumers After Hurricane Claims Complaints May 24, 2021
Complaints over insurance claims arising out of the three hurricanes that struck Louisiana last year have resulted in a recovery of $41 million for consumers as of the end of April, Louisiana insurance regulators say.
The Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) so far has received 1,497 complaints arising from hurricanes Laura, Delta and Zeta. Grievances have included complaints about various types of residential, auto and commercial property insurance, as well as complaints about insurance adjusters and agents, among other issues.
The most common topic of concern has shifted as hurricane claims have progressed. In January the most common grievance was claim delay. By May the most common complaint topic was inadequate and delayed payment of claims, LDI says.
Insurance commissioner: Consumer hurricane complaints yield $41M neworleanscitybusiness.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from neworleanscitybusiness.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Matthew Sias, an insurance agent who ran for the Lafayette City Council in 2019, was arrested on Monday for allegedly committing insurance fraud between December 2019 through September 2020.
According to Louisiana State Police Trooper Thomas Gossen, Troopers began an investigation into the insurance fraud allegations the same month that the Louisiana Department of Insurance issued a Cease & Desist Order to suspend the producer license of Sias, on September 8 of 2020. Sias was arrested on two arrest warrants for the following charges:
3 counts of Producer Fraud
4 counts of Felony Theft
1 count of Automobile Insurance Fraud
mugshot from Lafayette Parish Sheriff s Office
In September of 2020 when Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon issued the Cease & Desist Order because of the allegations Sias faced of collecting premiums but not paying his clients bills, Sias spoke with our news partners at KATC about it, saying.
Sticker shock for some, rate hikes for most homeowner s and flood insurance
Last year, he paid roughly $2000 for flood insurance. He just got the bill for this year. It’s now more than $8,000. Author: Thanh Truong / Eyewitness News Published: 4:25 PM CDT May 10, 2021 Updated: 6:14 PM CDT May 10, 2021
With hurricane season approaching, you may notice that premiums for your homeowner’s and flood insurance are higher than last year. We’ve heard from several viewers who say the bills for their policies this year are absurdly high.
Wayne Melerine sent us an email about his family’s home in Delacroix in St. Bernard Parish. Before it became a fishing camp for rent, it was where Melerine was raised. His dad built it in 1965, after Hurricane Betsy.