Boycott Farmers Insurance?
Boycott Farmers Insurance? You Decide …
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A recent short press release from UClaim.com gives two brief examples of false reports and gross unfair claim handling practices by Farmers Insurance (with the full knowledge of it’s CEO, Paul N. Hopkins) against Asian Americans.
It details how a Farmers Insurance law firm, Knapp and Spurlock, LLP of Long Beach, California, sets up Examination Under Oaths (EUO), cleverly leading policy holders into waiving their right to an interpreter. They use grammatical errors … common to Asians … who speak English as a second language, as a way to deny the claim, alleging the policy holders lied during EUOs, thus voiding the policy.
The press release is entitled:
FARMERS DENIES ASIAN AMERICAN CLAIMS
How Farmers Ins. uses dishonest lawyers to deny claims by Asian Americans.
Following is one excerpt from the press release:
Following is one excerpt (one example of many) from the actual transcript of Mr. Syprasert’s EUO page 23 lines 1-6:
Mr. Knapp Q. Were you and your wife having any financial
difficulties at the time of this fire, in September of 2009?
Mr. Syprasert A. 2009. 2009. Since I build it, a little
problem now because my credit not too good. Because
some mortgage behind.
(Emphasis added)
Now read this excerpt from attorney Richard O. Knapp’s report to Farmers and denial letter of February 16, 2010 to restaurant owners Arich and Boulene Syprasert. Mr. Knapp writes about the Examination Under Oath (EUO):
“(Mr. EUO 23) During his statement, Mr. Syprasert acknowledged falling behind on only one property, denying he was experiencing financial difficulties.”
(Emphasis added)
Mr. Knapp untruthfully reports the testimony even though the Sypraserts stated numerous times throughout 256 pages of both EUO transcripts (available via link below) that they owned more than one property and were experiencing financial difficulties.
The press release continues:
If the implications here are not obvious, here is a clearer explanation. Mr. Knapp intentionally twisted the intended meaning of what Mr. Syprasert said. Regarding “one property”, when Mr. Syprasert pronounced the word “mortgage” in the singular, Mr. Knapp interpreted it literally as singular. Mr. Syprasert obviously meant it as plural, more than one. It is common knowledge that Asian Americans who speak English as a second language often pronounce words in the singular when the intended meaning is in the plural. Furthermore, in this case, Mr. Syprasert added the word “some”, which should have clarified it for Mr. Knapp.
In addition, contrary to what Mr. Knapp wrote in regard to “denying financial difficulties”, when Mr. Syprasert said “a little problem now,” he is admitting that he is having some financial problems. Mr. Syprasert stated in the EUO multiple times (pages 24, 25, 26, and throughout) that he had more than one rental property. Mr. Syprasert repeatedly referred to several of his rental properties being behind in payments to himself, and therefore he himself in turn, being behind on the mortgage payments
The short press release along with links to the underlying claim file documents and full transcripts of the EUOs can be seen at the link entitled “FARMERS DENIES ASIAN AMERICAN CLAIMS” at http://www.uclaim.com/PressRelease.asp .
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Please give us your feedback below.
July 20th, 2011 at 1:22 pm #admin
Its appalling …
Ever since the “George Bush” US Supreme Court, in the property damage case Campbell vs State Farm in 2003, ruled that punitive damages could not exceed 3 times the actual damages, insurance companies have run rough shod over policy holders, openly violating unfair claims practices laws and snubbing their noses at the few government insurance regulators who decline insurer’s campaign money.
So plainiff’s attorneys rarely take these cases anymore. And it will continue that way for years to come, until and IF less “business friendly” judges get nominated to the Supreme Court by this and future presidents.
What the public fails to understand is that it can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, in expenses alone (forget the attorney fees!), to sue an insurance company in your local court for damages over small claim court limits.
In spite of the USA recession and the greatest natural disasters in USA history, the insurance industry has raked in record profits since 2003. And what we need is Federal insurance regulation laws. 50 different states with 50 sets of statutes and case law has been a colossal waste of duplicated time, money and heartache for consumers. The only beneficiary to “states rights” here are insurers and the so called government regulators taking insurer’s campaign money and all expense paid “convention” trips to Las Vegas.
Ok, I’ve said my piece and stuck my neck out. How about we get this discussion going, on both sides …
July 25th, 2011 at 10:33 pm #KE KE
I let my friend use my car. He have license and he wrack my car a total it . My insurance farmers denied my claim. Also I just found out he had insurance thru liberty mutal.And the will not take my claim either what to do U just wait to get my downpayment for another car that all!!
July 26th, 2011 at 12:41 pm #admin
KeKe,
You are a perfect example of what this page is about.
Obviously English is not your native language. I cannot understand all your comments. The point of this “Boycott Farmers” page is that Farmers Insurance is the kind of low quality insurance company that would deny your claim based on JUST ONE WORD without perfect grammar.
Get their denial in writing. And it must give SPECIFIC reasons, not general reasons. Until your English improves dramatically, don’t be too proud to ask them to provide and pay for an interpreter. If they refuse, get your own interpreter.
July 26th, 2011 at 1:11 pm #admin
And KeKe, consider switching to a QUALITY auto insurer, like Nationwide Insurance (see our Recommended Insurers page), and cancelling your Farmers Insurance.
August 12th, 2011 at 12:00 pm #jenni
An Asian myself, I remember when I was still in high school, my brother “borrowed’ my car to get something from the store when I was sleeping. I had insurance with State Farm Ins. at that time. My brother had an accident on his way home. I turned in a claim to my insurance and they had an adjustor come out the next day. State Farm adjustor looked at my car and issued me a check right there, I didn’t even get a chance to have a bodyshop look at it. I had to shop 3 bodyshops before someone agreed to fix it for that price plus my $500 outpocket. I called my insurance agent and was told I was luck the adjustor agreed to pay even that much because my brother wasn’t insured with them. I just moved to America at that time and didn’t know what to say. Next thing I know, I received a certified letter from State Farm ask me to sign a waiver; If I continue to live at the same address with my brother, they will cancell my policy. I had 2 weeks to show them my or my brother’s new address. I moved out to live with my sister.
August 24th, 2011 at 9:59 pm #Hopeless In San Diego
Nothing Farmers does would surprise me. I have had my own issues with their linguistic trickery and dilatory claims practices.
I wanted to ask if anyone can tell me what the reference codes are at the bottom of the Dec Page. I understand part of it is the policy form, edition, Policy number; however, I need to understand what the remaining numbers mean. A sample is listed below….
Policy Form Edition (?) Policy Number Date Mailed ( ? )
56-5344 4th 3-05 895400-00-22 5-14-08 C5236411
These questionable numbers are unique to the declaration page. I believe the sample 3-05 would reflect the last policy change or perhaps the renewal date, I am not sure. I would appreciate any information anyone may have.
August 25th, 2011 at 7:06 pm #Craigster
I have had Farmer’s since moving into our new home eight years ago. Never filed a claim until recently. Major wind/rain storm early morning in May 2011 and hailstorm appx. 11:45pm same day. Called claims center, it was 10 days before adjuster came and gave me the biggest run around….My roofer had me call them back out and they refused…
Just a word of advice: NEVER USE FARMER’S INSURANCE…YOU WILL GET SCREWED WHEN YOU REALLY NEED HELP!!!!!
October 5th, 2011 at 4:49 pm #admin
Dear website visitors,
Most of our questions and answers for October 3rd and 4th were lost as a result of a malware attack on our website. In addition, some of our pages were “redirected” to malware websites. We have now incorporated stronger security measures.
While we have no proof as to the original source of the hackers, suffice to say that this website had never experienced hacking problems until shortly after we posted the page “BOYCOTT FARMERS INSURANCE?” which exposed criminal acts by Farmer’s CEO and their Los Angeles based attorney Richard O Knapp.
October 5th, 2011 at 8:41 pm #aNYmouSE
HA – Imagine that! A corporate giant committing criminal acts and then behaving as cowardly street thugs!!
No you have no proof, however you really need none. Of course that is what happened. Not to make light of your site being hacked, the criminal acts of these companies not only devastate individuals, they have a major impact upon our entire economy.
Let’s see – there is currently a march/protest on Wall Street which has spread to protests in other cities across America, because of the crimes committed by Wall Street, which no one has been held accountable for. I have joined the protest in my city. Tomorrow I will suggest to my group that the protest be extended to include insurance companies, banks and of course our ‘representatives’ in Washington. These types of cowardly acts only happen because they can.
To anyone paying attention; until an insurance company has ruined your life, (which happens to individuals every day) you will never understand (or perhaps even believe) not only the immense greed that drives their criminal behavior, but also EVERY claimant is a potential victim.
October 7th, 2011 at 6:13 pm #admin
Anymouse,
Well said. Our generation doesn’t doesn’t understand what drove this country to anti-trust laws and others to Communism at the turn of the last century. I fear it will be up to the younger generation, like the Wall Street protesters, to turn this ship around. it sucks that the younger generation will be paying for government retirees earning 90% of tbheir take home salary. And it sucks that bankruptcy law allows companies like United Airlines and General Motors to completely wipe out their stock holders who entrusted those companies with their nest egg retirement money and to not even repay their initial investment while they return to profitability and issue free stock to its employees valued at $35/share (United Airlines) the day after it’s loyal stockholders saw their now devalued penny a share stock get eliminated by a Chicago bankruptcy judge, who probably has a nice fat numbered bank account in Grand Cayman.
December 1st, 2011 at 11:42 pm #admin
Want to see and hear a former Farmers Insurance Claims Supervisor confess to accepting bonuses for using computer programs that automatically cut 20% from insurance claims??? Here it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4roo153q9I .
Boycott Farmers Insurance and their unscrupulous fraudulent law breaking lawyers like Richard O. Knapp??? You decide.
December 1st, 2011 at 11:53 pm #admin
May as well check out this website built by former Farmers Insurance Group employees http://www.farmersinsurancegroupsucks.com/
Let us know if and where Farmers is still using this slogan “Farmers Gets You Back Where You Belong”.