Barry Adams - Utah

MY ALLSTATE HORROR STORY

I have had an automobile insurance policy with Allstate since I turned 16 years old and started driving. I am now 36. I pay my premiums monthly. In June of 1998, on a rain slick road I rear-ended another car. Clearly my fault. I exchanged insurance information with the other driver, had my car towed away, and was cited. When I spoke with the Allstate claims representative, he told me that I had no coverage and that my policy had been cancelled. The next day I received both a letter from him telling me he was closing my claim because I had no insurance and a letter from Allstate stating that I was not insured for a three day period (among the dates was the day of my accident) because of a missed payment two months prior.

I quickly researched my records and then remembered what had happened. Back in April I had taken a vacation. Before going I had an employee take a payment by an Allstate office nearby. I vividly remember the day she did it because she came back to the office laughing hysterically. She had gone into an agents office and found a teenage girl, dressed as hip teenagers do with enough body piercing that she probably whistled a tune when riding a bike, talking on the phone, behind a messy desk. Upon entering, she found the office very messy and several cats meandering about. She was warned by the teenager to be careful to not let the cats out.

Well, my employee came to learn that the girl behind the desk was temporarily filling in for her mother, the agent, who was gone. She had no idea how to post a payment or work the computer so my employee left the check for that months payment with the girl and requested that she give it to her mom who would post it when she returned (My name, phone number, and policy # was on the check.) and she left being careful not to let the cats out!!!.

I made subsequent payments in May, June, July, August etc. etc.. Well I have come to find out that the check left at that agency never cleared. I presented the carbon copy of the check, my bank statement, records documenting 15 years of regular payments, a letter from the agent to me stating that I should have never left a check with her daughter because she was not properly trained, and a sworn statement of facts by my employee, at the appeal to no avail.

Allstate likes to have the best of both worlds. I believe that they should either cancel the policy outright when Aprils payment didn't go through. Instead, they continue to cash checks and keep the money over the next two months only to come back and deny coverage for three days (which happen to be the date of the claim). Secondly, the agent managed her office in a very unprofessional manner, the result of her negligence has cost me over 25,000....nothing more to be said there!

I appreciate the forum from which to report Allstate's conduct. May others learn from my misfortune. Please feel free to publish, reproduce, and copy this in any manner necessary.

Barry Adams Sandy, UT 84090

People, please wake up before it happens to you!

"There is no incentive for insurance companies to do what is right, such as live up to the promises made in their policies. Tort reformers fueled by insurance money think big business and the insurance industry need to be protected against "runaway juries." It's the other way around. Big business and the insurance industry have always been able to take care of themselves. The little people need protection from them. This country was founded on the common law right of the little guy to get into court with his hired gun to fight the oppressor, be it big government or big business. Take that away and we have nothing left. Look around. It's being whittled away, bit by bit, caps on damages here, restrictions on jury trials there. It won't end until we recognize the enemy and join together to take a stand against them. It will take the little people to do this together".

Louis G. Fazzi, Esq. Attorney & Counselor At Law