30 comments

  1. Insurance companies expect your premium to be paid on time or coverage is cancelled.

    When it comes time for a claim however, good luck getting the money needed to make yourself whole and put yourself in the position you were pre loss.

    In the last 3 years I’ve had asshole drivers run into vehicles and total them. 100 % other drivers fault not mine.

    One vehicle initial offer on one vehicle – $ 12,000 and change. I told the insurance “are you including a case of lube with that offer?” I ended up wjth almost $20,000 when done negotiating with them

    Another vehicle totaled was a 2018 RAV4 adventure. 25,000 miles in 2022 when car prices were very high. Rear ended by some
    19 year old shithead so hard it totaled it.
    I was initially offered under $ 28,000. I told the insurance company they must be smokin that good shit. Ended up with almost 40,000.

    Negotiating is hard and time consuming though and it is not always easy to win against these assholes. Especially wjth homeowners insurance. Where do you live if your house is a total loss?

    Scumbags. It seems like in many cases insurance is legalized government protected and sometimes mandated theft.

  2. Insurance companies need to be investigated for fraud. I think the John Grisham novel “the Pelican Brief” or some other book was based on insurance companies denying claims whether they were legitimate or not in order to make money.

    1. For people with properly working eyeballs and brains, we see this sort of thing all the time. My hope is that one of these days enough of us are going to realize that the cost of gov’t far out weighs the benefit and storm DC and kill everybody.

      “No gov’t is far better than a criminal gov’t.”
      –gs, 2099

  4. Whoa, whoa, whoa, let’s pause a moment before railing against the insurance industry here.

    I live in suburban Philly and we had a relatively inconsequential hail storm here a few years back and 7 of the 11 homes on my cul-de-sac had new roofs from their insurance companies–even though most of those had not really sustained serious damage. State Farm was among the companies putting on new roofs. When they have reasonable risks and can charge profitable premiums, things are generally fine.

    That is not to say that everyone shopping for the absolutely-lower-premium-than-every-other-company may not be disappointed with their claims service. But you get what you pay for. I don’t bother shopping my USAA insurance because they are so wonderful in this area. To an extent you pays your money and you takes your choices.

    But in this case, people have been warning about this issue in Commiefornia for decades now. It’s not hard to understand. You can get a college degree in Forestry, where all the factors about maintaining safe forests are well-known, they’re not likely learning new science in that area, just finding new technologies to apply current knowledge. And forestry management works all over the globe where correctly applied. Part of the issue is national regulation, to be sure, but Commiefornia does not help itself in letting its electrical grid decline to third-world status, and mandating “letting nature take its’ course”. Nature is taking its course with a vengeance right now. You can have controlled buns (forestry management technique) or you can have uncontrolled burns (just turn on your TV, 24/7 right now), but you will have burns, period.

    Commifornia’s water policy has been a mess for decades, not nearly as influenced by the feds, too. They will do Herculean things for obscure fish, newts, and birds, but not so much for people or farmers. Again, you pays your money and you takes your choices.

    State Farm pulled out of that market last year because Commifornia regulates premiums, and their actuaries have pretty sharp pencils. They’ve been losing money there with the seemingly annual fire season, and are prevented from raising premiums. So while they are happily replacing marginally hail-damaged roofs in Philly, giving the homeowners the benefit of the doubt, they are finally saying that I should not be subsidizing Rachel Maddow’s homeowner’s insurance. And rightly so.

    I’m reminded of the late Sam Kinison’s schtick on living in the desert. “If you don’t want your home to burn, MOVE OUT OF COMMIEFORNIA!” Or at least stop voting the way you have been. It’ heartwrenching to watch, but I’m not coming up with a lot of sympathy for Democrats losing their homes there. James Woods, God bless him, I feel for. But the rest. Hard for me to work up many crocodile tears.

    And let’s not blame the insurance industry here. They are a risk-sharing business, they should not be a risk-shifting business. I should not have to pay for the forestry and water management follies of an insane state. If they let Commiefornian’s pay the premiums that would let them share the risk in their area, they’d still be insuring those homes. But they don’t.

    1. Exactly, California has refused for a decade at least to take the steps required to prevent or mitigate wild fires. This is basically the state shifting their financial burden and risk on to private companies. There is no reason the companies have to play along.

      1. Make that “decades”.

        I was living in San Jose from ’81 to ’84 and one of my neighbors was a former Oregonian forest-fire fighter. When asked why he didn’t have the same job in Commiefornia, he replied the fires moved too fast for him to fight them.
        He cited all the things the Forestry Service was doing differently than other forested states, such as no cutting of underbrush, no controlled burns, no fire breaks, etc.
        I have no reason to think Commiafornians did anything different between then and last week, except do what they’d always done, but harder.

    2. That’s all well and good, but what about when the government forces people to buy insurance? Obama care is a clear violation of the constitution. And then those that can’t afford it are either told here is some free shit at someone else’s expense or you are told you make too much money for free shit so you are going to be fined and you are worse off than before.

      Also, I agree premiums have to cover risk sharing, however ; when it comes time for a payout and there is a clear loss; the insurance usually puts hoops in the way of a payout to make someone who had a loss whole

      – replacing parts of a roof instead of a whole roof.

      – using cheap aftermarket generic parts on a vehicle that you took care of well and some other asshole hit and then saying using cheap labor to slap on aftermarket parts gives you a vehicle that is pre loss condition

      – not paying diminished value claims on vehicles after they are hit by some other asshole. It is clear as day a vehicle involved in an accident fixed or not is absolutely not worth the same value as a vehicle that has never been in an accident. Any insurance adjustor or lawyer who tells you otherwise is either lying, or plain fucking stupid or both.

      – charging people with gas powered cars higher premiums to cover the pool of rich assholes who have electric cars is not not not risk sharing. That is bullshit. Period.

      – dragging out claims, especially large scale losses or injury claims from accidents is done on purpose to wear people who experienced losses down and an attempt to try and get them to give in and take a lowball bullshit settlement.

      These are just some of the scams insurance plays. Not all.

      1. You said this before, and I addressed it in my post. Buy from better insurance companies. Plenty of ratings for them on claims service on numerous websites.

        Do some insurance companies scam customers? Yes. Do all of them as your post implies? No. Clearly you have something stuck in your craw about this issue, I hear that loud and clear. But your comments exhibit the Faulty Generalization Fallacy (an informal fallacy wherein a conclusion is drawn about all or many instances of a phenomenon on the basis of one or a few instances of that phenomenon)

        I’ve had no issues with USAA in a couple of car accident claims. My neighbors had none of the issues with their roof replacements you describe with insurers including Allstate and State Farm. They reported being delighted, actually. Do your homework and pick better insurance companies. Like any other industry, there are wonderful players, and schlocky outfits. Stop buying insurance from schlocky outfits.

        The many complaints about health insurance notwithstanding, my plan with an America’s top 100 companies employer, is wonderful. No issues there, either. Are there schlocky health insurers? Undoubtedly. But your lambasting the entire insurance industry because of what’s going on in Commiefornia with this fire, is unwarranted.

        1. So have you been paid diminished value for your autos when they were involved in an accident?

          We’re all parts of your vehicle repaired using name brand Oem parts nothing aftermarket?

          See ghost snipers post above – working eyeballs and brains.

        2. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, let’s pause a moment before railing against the insurance industry here.”

          I blame the govt for overall on this bullshit

          One of the reasons many insurance coverage options are fucked is due to govt regulation. Massachusetts regulates car insurance among others. Options here are bullshit

          “ But your lambasting the entire insurance industry because of what’s going on in Commiefornia with this fire, is unwarranted.”

          Go back and read amendment 1 to the constitution. Glad you don’t like what I have to say. Don’t read it or don’t respond if you don’t. I’ll say what I please. If you don’t like it , stick it where the sun don’t shine

          I also would like to know – your wonderful insurance you speak of. You said you had auto accidents. Did your insurance pay diminished value to you for your vehicles after the accidents?

          We’re all parts of your vehicle damaged in the accidents replaced using Oem
          Original parts?

          Reason I ask is plain and simple – any insurance
          Who say they will make
          You whole to “pre loss condition” that used generic parts and also does not pay out diminished value is fucking their customers. Period.

          2. “JCinPA says:
            January 10, 2025 at 3:46 PM
            You’re just an extremely pissed-off dude with an axe to grind. I hope you get over it.”

            Still can’t answer the basic questions I asked, can you?

            When someone resorts to name calling instead of answering questions, they have lost the argument.

            I am glad you know me, without knowing anything about me.

            Those questions? No answer. Bueller? Bueller?

    3. Beat me to it…

      At the end of the day, it was the California government’s refusal to take appropriate action for fire prevention and suppression that caused the insurance companies to not renew coverage. They are businesses, not charities.

  6. Commies and Blue Faction (but I repeat myself…rimshot…) ALWAYS want businesses to take on unlimited liability and risk for limited (or nonexistent!) opportunities for profit. Declaring violation of the laws of supply and demand in King Canute mode is their goto play.

    FWIW, I remember when auto insurers fled the Dark & Fascist State of NJ en masse back in the late 80’s or early 90’s for exactly the same reason, they simply weren’t allowed to price for the risks they were mandated to accept.

  7. Kim it appears that you are R.O.N.G. spells wrong. Mercury General, Allstate, Travellers, Chubb, AIG and Kinsale will all take big knocks.

    All you Luigi Lovers would change your tune very quickly if it was Trump who had been hit.

    1. 1. I’m not a Luigi lover. As far as I’m concerned the little shit should be hung from a lamp post, after flaying.
      2. Gawd knows I’m no fan of large corporations and even less so of the preening Hollywood elites, but I’m even less a fan of anarchy.
      3. I’m not suggesting that insurance companies should take a hit when that hit is avoidable. But the time to announce a coverage termination is not immediately before an event is likely to happen. If any insurance company were to announce an immediate termination of flood insurance in, say, Florida when the weather maps show an oncoming tropical storm or hurricane, the company would be in the R.O.N.G., and no amount of whining would alter that fact.
      Which is what happened in California.

      1. So everyone who says anything disagreeing with insurance companies is a “Luigi lover” now. Uh huh. Ok.

        Would it have made any difference if the people upset with insurance companies showed John Hinckley Jr. a picture of this CEO asshole and said hey if you take care of this problem Jodie Foster will be impressed.

        This thing that happened with the ceo and Luigi along with recent other incidents smell like absolute horseshit aka the stories we are told don’t add up. But that’s another topic for another time

        If anyone thinks members of the govt who are crooked and corrupt aren’t in cahoots with some insurance companies to screw the average person or that the insurance doesn’t fuck people over you are delusional.

        There are good Insurance plans and policies. Not all of them are good though.

        To say someone is a Luigi lover just because they disagree with insurance on some ideas while it is your right to day, it is delusional

        1. Does anyone remember when Maduro fixed the price of toilet paper Venezuela? Suddenly there was no toilet paper.

          If you buy cheap insurance you get cheap cover. The arseholes who say that the insurer refused a hip replacement bought the cheap option where hip replacements are expressly not covered.

          BTW between a quarter and a third of insurance claims are partially or completely fraudulent. About a fifth of those still sneak through. An example of partial fraud is underdeclaring the value of household contents, or claiming on a purchase made after the declaration.

          Insurance companies make zero zip nothing on short term insurance. They make all their money on the float. There are many insurance companies. A company that charged excessive rates would lose sales to its competitors as quickly as a company with poor claims experience.

          But it’s a heck of a lot easier to hate insurers than to stop and think about the realities of the business.

          1. Shadeburst and JC in PA – I agree with 99.9 percent of what both of you are saying, but you seem to be missing the 2 major points I am making

            1 – Most insurance is what you as a consume buy correct. If Purchase a Kobalt Tool, I can’t expect to be given a Milwaukee tool if I damage, lose, break etc my Kobalt. I understand that – but here is what you are missing

            – “Pre loss condition” and “comparable replacement if a total loss”

            – My Toyota gets rear ended by a 19 year old asshole in a 35 MPH zone by a Honda Civic so hard it totals my vehicle. Underbelly of floorpan and one of the unibody “frame” rails destroyed. – This was in Feb of 2022. Time when limited inventory at dealers due to Covid, higher prices due to limited inventory, and used and new vehicles costing way more. Insurance says they go by “NADA” and “Bluebook” and averages both if they are “WAY” off, and they also must consider “upgrades and market conditions”. 2018 Toyota Rav4 Adventure. 25,000 miles. What did my insurance offer? $ 27,000 and change NOT EVEN FUCKING CLOSE. That is NOT me buying the wrong policy, that is lowballing, period. Bluebook and NADA both showed right around $ 40,000. After several MONTHS of argueing on a settlement and waiting on a check – I got the proper amount. Also, it is NOT just MY insurance, the asshole kid who hit me will either have his rates SKYROCKET so his insurer gets paid back for the money they had to pay my insurer to pay me. NOTHING to do with any of the points you made this has to do with Insurance companies lowballing people.

            “PRE LOSS CONDITION”. Some CUNT originally from UKRAINE rear ends my car. Causes some minor bumper damage. Then a mom with a retarded kid in a minivan rear ends it again, more minor damage. Then some shithead 20 something year old with a BMW rear ends me a 3rd time. No damage to anything other than again, the bumper. All 3 of their insurance and mine wants to use GENERIC AFTERMARKET BUMPER.

            Now – if ME, I, MYSELF cause damage to my bumper, MY policy states LKQ – Like Kind Quality. If I me, myself want the REAL toyota Bumper, I can pay the bodyshop the difference.

            When some other cocksucker (or 3) rear end my vehicle – I EXPECT that PRE LOSS condition means a GENUINE TOYOTA BUMPER. Those 3 assholes will be paying for their mistake with HIGHER PREMIUMS so that their insurance can reimburse mine to pay me to get my vehicle to PRE LOSS CONDITION.

            Back to the drill anology above, If I bought a MILWAUKEE DRILL, and it broke and Milwaukee replaced it with a Generic Kobalt or other cheaper drill, that would NEVER be tolerated.

            2 – The politicians allow this fucking shit to go on – Jamie Dimon, Lloyd Blankfein and others were BAILED OUT USING OUR MONEY during the 2008 financial crisis. So were many insurers, automakers, banks, etc.
            The politicians grease the donors they get money from with Taxpayer funds. We the people get fucked.
            See Ghost Snipers comment in this thread.
            People with working eyeballs and brains.

            side note – when you have a car accident that is NOT your fault – even when the car is fixed, that car is NOT worth the same as the same vehicle NOT involved in an accident, that is DIMINISHED VALUE. Courts have ruled that insurers are responsible for this. If an insurer does not pay you for this or makes you fight for this, they are committing theft. They are obligated to make you whole for a loss. That is what the policy says. Fixing the vehicle alone does NOT make one whole for a loss to a car if you did not cause it.

            So, JC in PA and others, I agree with about 99.9 percent of what you say – but you are missing SOME fine details here.

            Before you call me names (which in the abstract I don’t care about), please wake the fuck up and understand the fine details. I provided specific details, you all posted the same general overview shit ad nauseam without even considering these fine details.

            And I agree with Kim too, That little shit Luigi deserves to be punished for what he did. For many reasons but if nothing more vigilantism is a LAST resort option. News was saying (who knows if that is true) that that exec was close to being indicted on crimes. Would have been better to see that cock sucker tried and if convicted fine and put in jail.

    1. I agree. But one fine point – people with Tesla’s and other electric cars should not be in the same auto insurance pool as regular vehicles. They cost more to buy, replace, repair which should mean not just a little higher insurance but way way way higher. Some electric vehicles cost double to triple some gas powered vehicles – yet many people with electric vehicles are not paying double to triple insurance. Why?

      Gas vehicles should be in their own pool, let liberals and rich fucks pay for their own shit

      This anology fits california too. There should be 3 umbrella’s of pools. Lets say – homes under 1 million (middle class in cali) and homes 1 million and above to say 20 million (wealthy). 3rd pool would be ULTRA wealthy (homes 21 million to hundreds of millions)

      Not to sound like a liberal – but this is a conservative thing really – you have MORE house you PAY more insurance, MORE RISK.

      In this case of whats happening here – the govt of cali as you said, is not letting insurance raise the rates on the wealthy and uber wealthy who could afford it. Thank cock suckers like gavin hair gel new SCUM for this kind of shit.

      Your point is correct – but the politicians are letting this happen, so they can say STUPID shit like – hey we tried to keep the rates down and the insurance doesnt want to pay.

      The wealthy can afford to rebuild their homes and will continue to donate to and vote in people like newSCUM

      Middle class will continue to get fucked.

  9. I had no idea that the State of California changed their insurance laws. No doubt the actuaries at the insurance firms ran the numbers and compared their potential losses with premium income and made the appropriate business decision.

    It’s long past time for legislators to bear the financial and criminal consequences of their bad decisions. that would keep a lot of imbeciles out office.

    1. Agreed, however one fine nuance.

      States like MA, NJ, CT, CA are lost causes – for example in MA

      – Almost impossible to beat a Democrat in MA.

      Thanks to Maura Healey (The first lesbian governor, yes that is a touted thing here) and the Democrats in MA – illegal immigrants are granted MA drivers licenses.

      Insurance is “mandated” but SOO many people drive without it. You can have a license and a car without insurance.

      Or you can have an insurance policy that is WAY under what would pay for someone else’s damages or injuries in the case of an accident.

      So what happens?

      Well, middle class people like me, buy what is called “Underinsured and UNinsured motorist” coverage on the auto insurance policy. ADDS BIG TIME to the insurance. AND if you have to use it cuz some OTHER asshole is NOT insured or doesn’t have ENOUGH insurance, you get a DING and pay higher premiums because YOU filed a claim, no fault of your own.

      Thank the DEMOCRATS and RINO politicians for this kind of fuckery.

      Again this has nothing to do with the policy being good or bad, these are the conditions even if you buy the BEST policy as JC in PA keeps talking about.

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