Our hearts go out to our colleagues in Louisiana, where yesterday two Louisiana Department of Insurance fraud investigators were shot and killed while trying to gather information from an insurance agent.
Here's the statement from Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon.
According to the New York Times, the agent was found dead by SWAT team members after barricading himself in his business, where the shootings happened.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
One accident, two claims: Seattle man charged with insurance fraud
A Seattle man has been charged with insurance fraud and second-degree theft for allegedly filing multiple auto insurance claims for a single accident.
Thanh Thai "Derrick" Dang, 31, was charged Wednesday in King County Superior Court. Both charges are class C felonies, carrying a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
An investigation by the state insurance commmissioner's Special Investigations Unit found that in May 2010, Dang contacted insurer Ameriprise to say that his Toyota RAV4 had been hit by a hit-and-run driver while parked outside a home in Seattle. Ameriprise issued a check for $3,887.
Eight days after the accident, Dang obtained coverage over the internet from Allstate. Almost immediately, he filed a claim with Allstate for damage to the RAV4, saying that the car had been rear-ended while he was driving on Interstate 5. He also claimed that he'd been injured. Allstate issued a check for $3,502 for repairs to the vehicle.
A subsequent investigation by Allstate's anti-fraud unit showed that the RAV4 damage was identical in both claims.
A hearing in Dang's case is scheduled for June 13th.
Thanh Thai "Derrick" Dang, 31, was charged Wednesday in King County Superior Court. Both charges are class C felonies, carrying a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
An investigation by the state insurance commmissioner's Special Investigations Unit found that in May 2010, Dang contacted insurer Ameriprise to say that his Toyota RAV4 had been hit by a hit-and-run driver while parked outside a home in Seattle. Ameriprise issued a check for $3,887.
Eight days after the accident, Dang obtained coverage over the internet from Allstate. Almost immediately, he filed a claim with Allstate for damage to the RAV4, saying that the car had been rear-ended while he was driving on Interstate 5. He also claimed that he'd been injured. Allstate issued a check for $3,502 for repairs to the vehicle.
A subsequent investigation by Allstate's anti-fraud unit showed that the RAV4 damage was identical in both claims.
A hearing in Dang's case is scheduled for June 13th.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Chiropractor pleads guilty to making false statements under oath
A chiropractor with several clinics in Pierce and King counties has pleaded guilty to making false statements under oath during insurance-related depositions.
Alnoor Haider Bhanji, 43, of Issaquah, pleaded guilty to three counts of false swearing in King County Superior Court on Tuesday.
In depositions in three different lawsuits (in 2007, 2008 and 2010) involving insurers, Bhanji lied under oath. The false statements included:
• claiming that he didn’t know who owned his Federal Way clinic building,
• claiming that his brother was not associated with the chiropractic business in any way,
• and repeatedly denying knowing an individual who had a long history of bringing patients to Dr. Bhanji.
Each count is a gross misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a fine of $5,000.
Sentencing is set for June 17.
Alnoor Haider Bhanji, 43, of Issaquah, pleaded guilty to three counts of false swearing in King County Superior Court on Tuesday.
In depositions in three different lawsuits (in 2007, 2008 and 2010) involving insurers, Bhanji lied under oath. The false statements included:
• claiming that he didn’t know who owned his Federal Way clinic building,
• claiming that his brother was not associated with the chiropractic business in any way,
• and repeatedly denying knowing an individual who had a long history of bringing patients to Dr. Bhanji.
Each count is a gross misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a fine of $5,000.
Sentencing is set for June 17.
How does a ticket affect my insurance rate?
A new study shows just how damaging speeding tickets or other moving violation citations can be to your insurance rates.
Insurance.com did an analysis of more than 32,000 insurance policies sold last year, and concluded that a single violation on a driver's record drove up rates by an average of 18 percent. Drivers with two violations paid an average of 34 percent more, and those with three paid 53 percent more.
Some of the violations that affect your auto insurance rates are no surprise: a DUI, for example, or fleeing from police, or wrong-way driving. But an improper passing citation also counts, as does failure to use a proper child restraint.
What typically doesn't count? Parking tickets.
Your driving record, of course, isn't the only thing that auto insurers consider. Here are some of the other factors that affect the cost of your auto insurance.
Insurance.com did an analysis of more than 32,000 insurance policies sold last year, and concluded that a single violation on a driver's record drove up rates by an average of 18 percent. Drivers with two violations paid an average of 34 percent more, and those with three paid 53 percent more.
Some of the violations that affect your auto insurance rates are no surprise: a DUI, for example, or fleeing from police, or wrong-way driving. But an improper passing citation also counts, as does failure to use a proper child restraint.
What typically doesn't count? Parking tickets.
Your driving record, of course, isn't the only thing that auto insurers consider. Here are some of the other factors that affect the cost of your auto insurance.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Medicare phone scam reported
The state attorney general's office is warning about a phone scam that attempts to get people to reveal their banking information, supposedly as a way to get a special Medicare card.
From the post:
From the post:
"Remember, government programs will never make unsolicited calls seeking financial or health information. Anyone who does so is a crook."Click on the link above for more information about the scam -- as well as a similar one that the Nevada AG is warning about.
Filing a Holocaust-related life insurance claim
This morning's New York Times had a story about the ongoing struggle for Holocaust survivors to collect on life insurance policies.
The International Commission on Holocaust-Era Claims, which helped collect more than $1 million for Washington state claimants, stopped accepting claims in March of 2007. But you may still be able to file a claim. The following companies have agreed to accept post-deadline Holocaust-era claims directly from individuals:
For help or questions -- if you're a Washington state resident -- contact our office at 1-800-562-6900. (If you live in another state, here's a list of contact information for other state insurance departments.)
The International Commission on Holocaust-Era Claims, which helped collect more than $1 million for Washington state claimants, stopped accepting claims in March of 2007. But you may still be able to file a claim. The following companies have agreed to accept post-deadline Holocaust-era claims directly from individuals:
- Generali
- Allianz
- AXA
- Winterthur
- Zurich
- as well as their affiliates and other German companies.
For help or questions -- if you're a Washington state resident -- contact our office at 1-800-562-6900. (If you live in another state, here's a list of contact information for other state insurance departments.)
Our 2010 annual report
We've just posted our annual report for calendar year 2010.
It can tell you things like:
It can tell you things like:
- Washington premiums for earthquake insurance last year ($118 million). Claims were almost nonexistent.
- Medical malpractice insurance premiums totaled ($157 million).
- Who the top 40 companies are, for each line of insurance business.
- Accident and health coverage is a $14 billion business in Washington.
- Health insurers pay out an average of nearly 86 cents for every dollar in premiums they collect.
- Mortgage guaranty insurance, due to the housing market turmoil, has seen a big surge in payouts over the past few years, and continues to lose money. Last year, these policies paid out nearly $1.76 for every dollar in premiums they collected.
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