Oregon Allstate Insurance Claim for Personal Injury

You only have to hear the words, “You’re in good hands,” to know which insurance company is being discussed. That slogan has been with Allstate Insurance for decades. The company has grown to become the largest publicly held personal lines insurer in the country, with a staggering $131 billion in total assets.

More than 16 million Americans are covered by Allstate, and auto insurance is their number one line. They sponsor massive sporting events, are well toward the top of the Fortune 100 and since being founded in 1931, have claimed to being committed to “serving customers how, when and where they choose to be served.” A closer look, however, reveals that when it comes to Allstate Insurance Oregon claims, drivers may not feel quite so safe in those “good hands.”

The Reviews Go From Bad…to Worse! 

With their obvious financial clout, market leading position and aggressive marketing strategies, you’d think Allstate would be eager to keep their customers happy, but in the J.D. Power & Associates 2011 report on customer satisfaction with insurance companies, Allstate were actually ranked a lowly 15th of the 25 insurance companies covered by a survey of more than 11,000 customers. Their score of 834 points out of a possible 1,000 in that survey was a miserable 12 points below the industry average, and they just barely eked out a Circle Rating of 3 out of 5, which made them, according to J.D. Power, “About Average.”

If that sounds bad, it was even worse in 2008, when the American Association for Justice gave Allstate a No. 1 ranking…for the “worst insurer” in the country. One of the key complaints cited as a reason for this rating was Allstate’s alleged practice of enticing customers with low cost policies, only to increase premiums without notice, and without any claims being filed. Reasons given by Allstate for raising premiums range from the number of accidents in the state (rather than by any individual driver) to customers’ credit ratings going down.

The company also has a habit, when dealing with Allstate Insurance Oregon claims, of delaying payments and denying perfectly valid claims. Oregon drivers have borne the brunt of what can only be described as questionable practices. These are just some of the complaints to Consumer Affairs about Allstate Insurance.

• Henriettta, from Portland wrote in that she and her family had been loyal Allstate customers for more than 20 years when they had to file a claim after her husband and son were hit by an uninsured motorist. Henrietta said that even though they have Allstate’s uninsured motorist cover, the company has point blank refused to pay their claim. Finally, after missing a lot of time from work, and getting nowhere with Allstate, they hired an attorney to sue the company.
• Claire from Eugene moved to America two days after her 18th birthday to attend a local university. Her father bought her a car and spoke to an Allstate agent, who even used the “good hands” line to convince her father that Claire would be looked after in any event. A few weeks later, Claire admits she made a silly mistake when merging and scratched another car. No one was injured, but two weeks later, she received a letter from Allstate, saying they would no longer insure her.
• A 43-year-old man wrote in to say he’d been an Allstate customer for 27 years. In January, 2010, he was involved in a chain reaction accident. His was the fourth car to be struck, and he was badly injured. Allstate sent him to see an Independent Medical Examiner of their choosing, and the IME gave him a five-minute evaluation. Allstate immediately wrote him, denying any and all claims, in spite of testimony from seven doctors who all say he has a disc problem caused by the accident. Allstate advised the man to put the claim through his own independent health insurance and to tell that company the back problem wasn’t caused by the accident!

Literally dozens and dozens of people have told similar stories of delayed payments, denied claims, money being taken for increased premiums without prior notification, and a general lack of any kind of customer service. Perhaps the most telling story, however, came from a man whose 2009 Audi Q7 was hit by an Allstate-insured driver who ran a red light, causing almost $14,000 worth of damage. The car was in the repair shop for 41 days, and the man requested $1,400 for the loss of use of his vehicle. Allstate offered him a paltry $124 for the entire time. This man didn’t take it lying down. “I then sued them…and was awarded $8,200 (for the loss of use of the vehicle)–$200 per day for daily rental value times 41 days.”

Hiring an Oregon Personal Injury Attorney Can Help Your Claim

It’s clear that the “good hands” slogan—while it makes for a great slogan—doesn’t always apply to Allstate Insurance Oregon claims. It’s also clear from the testimony of their own customers that, to get real satisfaction, not to mention justice from the company, often requires taking the legal route. While it’s sad that this is the case, there’s no denying the fact that having an experienced Portland car accident lawyer on your side will give you your best chance of receiving the compensation you deserve. Find an attorney who has a good track record of dealing with Allstate and other insurance companies, and let them guide you through the process of getting your claim settled quickly and fairly.