In order to grow, mold needs a food source, water, the right temperature, and time. What mold claims need in order to grow are litigation: boundless jury awards lack of standards for measuring mold spores’ effect on health room for interpretation in existing policy language, lack of knowledge by policyholders. This article is meant to […]
West Palm Beach, FL — James and Maria Ivory’s dreams of a relaxing retirement on Florida’s Gulf Coast were put on hold when they discovered their new home had been built with Chinese drywall that emits sulfuric fumes and corrodes pipes. It got worse when they asked their insurer for help — and not only […]
San Diego, CA – Property insurers use secret tactics to cheat customers out of payments–as profits break records. Julie Tunnell remembers standing in her debris-strewn driveway when the tall man in blue jeans approached. Her northern San Diego tudor-style home had been incinerated a week earlier in the largest wildfire in California history. The blaze in […]
Chicago, IL – Most Allstate Corp. customers living in areas hard-hit by hurricanes and other natural disasters are likely to see their premiums rise this year as a result of the insurer’s costly new reinsurance obligations, the company claimed last week. This is most likely to result in higher premiums for everyone involved, although Allstate Corp. […]
Hartford, CT – Mold is a common plague of homes, especially after the seemingly limitless rain and flooding Northeast has seen lately. Insurance coverage of mold damage, though, is limited due to the severe health hazards that are involved with exposure. Among all major insurance companies, after profits are incurred, a much higher percentage of […]
Many who have experienced mold in their homes and suffered the illnesses, loss of their home, denial of insurance coverage, and ultimately the high costs and humiliation of litigation can empathize with those who must suffer similar woes. This week may set a precedence for homeowners in Texas who have been affected by this tragedy. The Texas […]
Cape Coral, FL — Luann Guy didn’t think she was in good hands with Allstate after Hurricane Charley wrecked her home, leaving water and mold in its wake. The single mother of two still lives in her Cape Coral home infested with mold. And after weeks turned to months without payment from Allstate Floridian Insurance […]
Austin, TX – Don’t be fooled: mold is gold for insurers. The sudden rise in the number of mold claims filed with insurers between 1999 and 2001 has now dropped off sharply. In its wake, insurers successfully threatened to pull out of certain states and lobbied state officials to reduce coverage and/or cap repairs while […]
PLANTATION, Fla., 3:02 p.m. EDT July 31, 2002 – Homeowners attending a public hearing with state and insurance officials Tuesday voiced anger over what they said is a growing mold problem in Broward County. According to Florida Treasurer and Insurance Commissioner Tom Gallagher, the purpose of the hearing was to obtain public input and hear […]
Ozone is a naturally occurring gas created from oxygen atoms. The oxygen molecule is made up of 2 oxygen atoms. These oxygen molecules are broken into atoms by the corona discharge during lightning storms or by UV light from the Sun. Single oxygen atoms cannot exist alone without regrouping back into di-atomic oxygen molecules. During […]
Large settlements could prompt exodus; Md. ruling sought on exclusions; Cost of repairing home might exceed its value by Anne Lauren Hens lee : Special To The Sun Maryland homeowners insurance could be reaching a critical juncture on an unlikely issue that might prove the final straw for insurance companies teetering from market woes and […]
8/6/02 Houston, TX – The state of Texas sued Farmers Group Inc. on Monday, accusing the U.S. insurance giant of charging consumers excessive and unjustified rates for homeowners’ coverage through deceptive trade and discriminatory practices. The lawsuit, filed in Austin, accuses Farmers – the state’s second- largest homeowner insurer – of reducing coverage while increasing […]
Homeowners Insurance Rates on the Rise: Increased Catastrophes, Soaring Home Repairs and Excessive Jury Awards Among Reasons NEW YORK – An extraordinary number of catastrophes, the high cost of home repairs and excessive jury awards due to the emergence of mold claims are pushing the cost of homeowners insurance upward — an average of 8 […]
by Dee DePass, Star Tribune The Minnesota Department of Commerce has rescinded a controversial bulletin that would have forbidden insurance companies from putting limits on the few coverages for mold that still exist in homeowners policies. The bulletin, which the department issued in March, ignited a fight with the Insurance Federation of Minnesota, an industry […]
by Jim Parker, The Post and Courier Staff State Farm’s move to increase homeowners insurance rates on average 25 percent in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties – or $250 on a $1,000 bill – is bringing into focus the painful cost of residing near the Atlantic Ocean. Consumers from St. George to Folly Beach, McClellanville […]
7/30/02 Miami Beach, FL -The state Department of Insurance is holding the first of three public hearings in Florida today to receive consumer input as insurance companies and regulators try to balance who is responsible for paying for mold damage in homes and buildings. The first hearing will be from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. […]
Premiums to Go Up More than 20% in Area State Farm, the nation’s largest home insurer, is increasing rates more than 20 percent in Virginia, Maryland and the District, blaming rising claims nationally and stock-market investment losses. The increases take effect Monday for new policies and Sept. 15 for existing customers unless vetoed by state […]
12/22/03 Insurance agent: What do terrorists and mold have in common? Business owner: I dunno. Insurance agent: They’re both going to jack up your rates. While most Hawaii businesses have no experience with either of these undesirables, together they will contribute to a scarcity of insurance companies willing to write business policies and an increase […]
11/30/03 Austin, TX – State officials and Farmers Insurance Group reached a settlement Saturday that will keep the state’s second-largest home insurer in the state homeowner’s insurance market. The deal is worth $100 million for homeowners in restitution, refunds and rate reductions, according to the Texas Department of Insurance. It also ends a lawsuit and […]
Dallas, TX – Mold Crisis? What crisis? Has cheese gone bad? In case you haven’t been paying attention to the world of litigation, there has been an explosion of lawsuits relating to the presence of mold in buildings. Here are some recent headlines: New York: Last year, 125 New York City families filed an $8 […]
By Jeff Ostrowski, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer PLANTATION — There’s little middle ground in the contentious debate about toxic mold, as a public hearing hosted by the Florida Department of Insurance last week made clear. Insurers insist that the fungus scare is mostly hype. Victims of the poisonous spores call it a major menace. […]
Baton Rouge, LA – The insurance company says it was a “routine notice” mailed to policyholders. The state says it was “misleading.” The Subject of Controversy: Mold Last month, State Farm’s 280,000 homeowners’ policyholders in Louisiana opened their mailboxes to find a notice reminding them that mold and fungus is excluded from any insurance coverage […]
What’s the best way to get rid of mold? The insurance industry has an answer: Exclude it 8/09/02 Los Angeles, CA – State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance, the largest home insurer, has eliminated coverage for mold in 33 states, including South Carolina. Even if the mold is the result of storm damage covered by a […]
7/20/02 Dallas-TX – On the heels of threats from the state, Farmers Insurance Co. backed away Friday from new homeowners policy restrictions tied to water and mold claims. The conciliatory move by the state’s second-largest home insurer came as the state allowed insurance companies to begin selling homeowners insurance policies commonly used in other states, […]
by Bill Hensel Jr., Houston ChronicleJuly 22, 2002, 10:29PM Farmers Insurance Co. and Allstate Corp. must submit underwriting guidelines to the Texas Department of Insurance by Thursday to answer subpoenas issued by the department. The investigation stemmed from a procedure enacted by Farmers last week that it would not issue new homeowners coverage if there […]
11/3/02 Sacramento, CA – Mold hasn’t caused problems for lenders in California. They see it as a headache for insurers that lenders can mostly leave alone. That could change if insurance gets scarce, too expensive or even disappears. Suddenly the house or office building that’s the collateral for the loan would be exposed to uninsured […]
12/3/2 Sacramento, CA – State Farm General, the California arm of the nation’s largest home insurer, plans to suspend writing homeowner policies for new customers in the state as of May 1. The decision, conveyed Friday to State Farm agents in California, was perhaps the first major salvo in insurers’ efforts to recover losses resulting […]
1/11/03 Ft. Worth, TX – Mold has been the subject of much discussion lately within the insurance industry, as well as by others affected in their own right, such as lawyers, environmental consultants and consumer groups. And it seems like every time the subject comes up, it doesn’t take long for someone to chime in […]
Molds occur naturally in almost all indoor environments. Mold spores may also enter a home through open doorways and windows, or heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. Most homeowners would benefit from a few helpful tips which might prevent or reduce the formation of molds in their home and keep any possible mold damage to […]
by Jeff Slivka, Gallagher Environmental Risk & Insurance July 2002 If you haven’t already done so, you probably will or need to develop a “mold prevention program” for one reason or another in the near future. Why? Because mold has become such a nightmare for owners, contractors, suppliers, everyone-you name it. If you haven’t done […]
Insurers All Over Are Raising Costs by Sarah Sue Ingram, Daily Press October 9, 2002 Virginia insurers are nervously watching a rise in claims involving pernicious black mold in the Commonwealth, mindful of the havoc the fungus has wreaked in other states. The scale of the mold problem in Virginia has not yet reached the […]
By Dave Thomas Orlando, Fl – A panel on architects and engineers E&O looked at the ramifications of one of the latest issues to impact that segment of the insurance industry – mold – during the second day of the 15th Annual PLUS Conference. Titled Terrorism Inside: The Mold Litigation Explosion, the session addressed the […]
Anyone who has received a renewal notice knows that Texans pay among the nation’s highest homeowner insurance rates. Insurers blame mold and water claims for soaring premiums, but the problem is far more complicated than costly claims. The state’s two-tiered regulatory system badly serves insurers and homeowners. It must be changed. As a result of […]
Nearly two decades ago, the public was sold a bill of goods: tort reform. Proponents of tort reform promised that, if implemented, this reform package would lower consumer prices, create a fair system and protect business from lawsuits that were without merit. Everyone – the public, small business and legislators – fell for it. Today, […]
ALLEN NORWOOD Companies that sell homeowners insurance in North Carolina, reacting to the growing hubbub about mold, won permission to limit coverage for mold damage to $5,000. Major companies, including Allstate, Nationwide and State Farm, have been petitioning states to let them exclude or limit mold coverage. They’re reacting to huge claims by homeowners and, […]
Amado Valdes, 61, keeps a jar of Cetaphil skin cream by his bed, to soothe the itchy dark welts on his hands and neck. A humidifier bubbles at night to moisten his lungs and calm his coughing fits. Recent months have brought new daily rituals: popping Allegra and Clarinex allergy pills. Valdes claims he is […]
One-fifth of Florida’s condo associations faces rate hikes of 132 percent and will no longer have mold coverage, marking the latest chapter in insurers’ efforts to head off an explosion in mold-related claims. State Farm, Florida’s largest insurer, has hammered out a two-pronged deal with the Florida Department of Insurance that allows it to exclude […]
Written by Philip Klein NEW YORK (Reuters) – Allstate Corp. on Thursday reported its first increase in quarterly earnings in more than a year, as higher insurance rates took hold and catastrophe claims fell dramatically from the prior year. The company, the No. 2 U.S. car and home insurer behind State Farm Insurance Cos., also […]
That’s the ambitious goal of CEO Edward Liddy, whose moves haven’t always been popular with employees — or Wall Street As CEO of Allstate, the nation’s second-largest home- and auto-insurance company, Edward Liddy often finds himself between a rock and a hard place as he attempts to grow the company. Liddy sees value in expanding […]
by Tammy Williamson Business Reporter August 23, 2002 Illinois homeowners hit with double-digit increases from Allstate this year won’t see new increases next year, but auto rates in Illinois and nationally could rise 4 or 5 percent on average, said Edward Liddy, Allstate’s chief executive officer. And while some states will see home insurance rates […]
Wed Nov 13, 7:36 PM ET NORTHBROOK, Ill. (Reuters) – Allstate Corp., the No. 2 U.S. car and home insurer, on Thursday revised its previously announced third quarter earnings downwards, citing a $32 million charge it is taking for settling an insurance dispute. The company now says its third quarter profit was $248 million, or […]
OLDWICK, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–July 31, 2002–A.M. Best Co. has placed the financial strength ratings of B+ (Very Good) for two separately rated subsidiaries of State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, State Farm General Insurance Company (Bloomington, IL), and State Farm Lloyds (Dallas, TX), under review with negative implications. The under review status reflects the weakened stand-alone […]
by Jeff Ostrowski, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Wednesday, August 7, 2002 A three-member panel will settle the dispute between the state’s largest homeowners insurer and Insurance Commissioner Tom Gallagher. State Farm officially appealed Gallagher’s rejection of a proposed 22 percent rate hike, Gallagher spokeswoman Tami Torres said Tuesday. Blaming the rising costs of toxic […]
by David Wichner, The Arizona Daily Star Wednesday May 15 05:20 AM EDT Reflecting a tough insurance market nationwide, three of Arizona’s biggest auto and home insurers – including market leader State Farm Mutual – are moving to limit new business in the state. Insurers say the moves are needed to stabilize their businesses amid […]
Two years ago we in the insurance industry were preparing for what was predicted to be an event of momentous import. The changes in our advanced technology were exposing our industry to significant damages and numerous coverage questions. Planes were going to fall from the skies, traffic lights would be inoperable, hospitals would lose power, […]
5/3/02 BELLEVUE – When they gutted Brian’s home, they broke the mold. It was everywhere, they said. And it was toxic. So everything had to go. The furniture. The clothes. Even the kitchen sink. But more than three months later, Polly Carter, Brian’s mother, is wondering if her insurance company will cover any of the […]
A year ago, I warned that the cost of homeowners insurance was heading up. This year, the outlook is gloomier. You could have to revise your insurance behavior if you want to keep your coverage. Just consider: In April, State Farm Insurance, which accounts for 20 percent of the state’s home insurance market, announced a […]
Everette Lee Herndon Jr. and Chin Yang In February 2000, a Texas grand jury found reason to continue a criminal investigation of child endangerment charges against an insurance company for its handling of a water damage claim. This investigation was prompted by a criminal complaint filed by the policyholder and follows the filing of a […]
HOUSTON – It had to be a mistake, Kimberly Fowler told herself as she peered at her new homeowner’s policy. Could her premium really being going up 120 percent, from $853 in 2001 to $1,888 in 2002? After all, she had never filed a claim with Allstate in the four years she’d owned a three-bedroom […]
Associated Press 07/18/2002 AUSTIN – Texas’ second-largest homeowners’ insurer — Farmers Insurance Co. — no longer writes new policies for homes that have had a water-damage claim in the past three years. The company also no longer insures houses older than 30 years unless they have had their plumbing systems renovated in the past 10 […]
 
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