Insurance companies under fire
Landen Martin
Issue date: 7/27/10 Section: News
Two cars collide. Traffic stops. People get out of their cars and contact information is exchanged. Insurance providers take over the communication process and reach a settlement. This is what you, a paying costumer expect from your insurance company. In Texas however, two major insurance companies are under investigation for having the highest numbers of complaints, the Associated Press reports.
These reports have state officials worried that providers aren't meeting the customer service standards required by law. Students here at Richland are expressing their concerns with insurance companies as current rates are rising and crash statistics are continuous.
Logan Haynsworth, a Nationwide custumer and Richland College student, recently was hit by another car and is now faced with the aftermath of making an agreement. She says that her insurance company has not done anything to aid the process or communicate with the other party's insurance.
"I have been having to do all the work. It has been me versus the other person's insurance company," Haynsworth said. "That's what their job is supposed to be. This is why I am paying more than $20 a month in premium."
College students, whether independent or dependent, pay for insurance to be legally protected drivers on the roads in north Texas. Richland College, nestled in between Interstate 635 and U.S. Route 75, is in the high accident frequency area of fast drivers and bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic.
Top News website reports that insurance tax has increased 6 percent causing premiums to increase as well. Texas financial responsibility laws require persons to have 25/50/25 coverage which encompasses $25,000 injury liability per person, $50,000 injury for all persons and $25,000 minimum for damage. If Texas drivers don't have the right coverage, they could face up to $350 fine for the first offense, according to Texas Department Of Transportation.
Ping Trinh, a Richland summer school student, says her family recently switched their coverage from State Farm to Allstate because of increasing rates. She fears other people on the road and says she has to maintain a fast speed on the road with other drivers.
"We switched over because State Farm kept raising our payments every month," Trinh said. "So far it's been okay. But you can't drive slow (in Dallas), because everyone will run you over if you do."
Dallas County drivers face dangerous conditions on the highways and roadways. Insurance coverage is legally required for Texas state drivers and encouraged to keep motorists protected on the road. The statistics from 2008 show that 32,668 crashes were recorded in Dallas county. TxDOT records show that of those, 232 were fatal crashes with a total of 247 fatalities.
These reports have state officials worried that providers aren't meeting the customer service standards required by law. Students here at Richland are expressing their concerns with insurance companies as current rates are rising and crash statistics are continuous.
Logan Haynsworth, a Nationwide custumer and Richland College student, recently was hit by another car and is now faced with the aftermath of making an agreement. She says that her insurance company has not done anything to aid the process or communicate with the other party's insurance.
"I have been having to do all the work. It has been me versus the other person's insurance company," Haynsworth said. "That's what their job is supposed to be. This is why I am paying more than $20 a month in premium."
College students, whether independent or dependent, pay for insurance to be legally protected drivers on the roads in north Texas. Richland College, nestled in between Interstate 635 and U.S. Route 75, is in the high accident frequency area of fast drivers and bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic.
Top News website reports that insurance tax has increased 6 percent causing premiums to increase as well. Texas financial responsibility laws require persons to have 25/50/25 coverage which encompasses $25,000 injury liability per person, $50,000 injury for all persons and $25,000 minimum for damage. If Texas drivers don't have the right coverage, they could face up to $350 fine for the first offense, according to Texas Department Of Transportation.
Ping Trinh, a Richland summer school student, says her family recently switched their coverage from State Farm to Allstate because of increasing rates. She fears other people on the road and says she has to maintain a fast speed on the road with other drivers.
"We switched over because State Farm kept raising our payments every month," Trinh said. "So far it's been okay. But you can't drive slow (in Dallas), because everyone will run you over if you do."
Dallas County drivers face dangerous conditions on the highways and roadways. Insurance coverage is legally required for Texas state drivers and encouraged to keep motorists protected on the road. The statistics from 2008 show that 32,668 crashes were recorded in Dallas county. TxDOT records show that of those, 232 were fatal crashes with a total of 247 fatalities.
Be the first to comment on this story