(Trent) Lott Lawyer: State Farm Destroying Papers

The Guardian (UK) ^ | 4-10-2006 | Michael Kunzelman

[blam]

Lott Lawyer: State Farm Destroying Papers

Monday April 10, 2006 11:31 PM

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN

Associated Press Writer

BILOXI, Miss. (AP) - A lawyer for U.S. Sen. Trent Lott said Monday that State Farm Insurance Co. is destroying documents that could show the insurer has fraudulently denied thousands of claims by Lott and other policyholders whose homes were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Zach Scruggs, one of Lott's attorneys, says his client has a ``good faith belief'' that several State Farm employees in Biloxi are destroying engineering reports that gave conflicting conclusions about whether wind or water was responsible for storm damage.

Like thousands of Gulf Coast homeowners, Lott's claim was denied because State Farm concluded that Katrina's flood water demolished his beach-front Pascagoula home. State Farm says its policies do not cover damage from rising water, including wind-driven water.

But lawyers for the Mississippi Republican claim Bloomington, Ill.-based State Farm has routinely pressured its engineers to alter ``favorable'' reports that initially blamed damage on hurricane's wind, which the company's policies cover.

A State Farm spokesman said Monday he couldn't immediately comment on Scruggs' allegations.

[blam]

I was in Biloxi last thursday. Still a horrible mess.

[peyton randolph]

Isn't the lawyer being quoted actually Lott's ambulance-chasing brother-in-law?

[pobodys nerfect]

I hate insurance companies. A large part of my job is trying to get them to pay valid health insurance claims. They fight over every penny.

[sgtbono2002]

I feel for the people of Mississippi. I remember when Isabel struck here how the insurance companies screwed over everyone with this scam about wind and sea.

[bremenboy]

ping for latter

[dawn53]

I don't think it's a scam.

I have flood insurance...and I have homeowner's insurance.

Flood insurance will cover anything that is destroyed from water rising (i.e. water from ground level) and homeowner's covers damages from wind and rain/hail, etc. (i.e. water from the sky.)

[robowombat]

Thanks for posting this and your comment. There is a determined minority of Freepers who enjoy spinning the venal race pimping of a minority of people in New Orleans into an endless riff on 'New Orleans crybabies other areas recover overnight from volcano eruptions or epidemics of rectal itch why aren't you back to pre-Katrina status in over six months you all deserve nothing and are dung under our feet.'

The crusher that Katrina delivered by storm surge and wind to the Gulf coast and massive urban flooding to New Orleans is going to take a long time to recover from and the disgraceful behavior of certain insurance companies is making the ordeal worse for many and stretching recovery ever longer.

The snots that like to heap abuse on NOLA know who you are here.

[CindyDawg]

Strange. We had a damaging hail storm followed by a tropical storm. State Farm came in and set up tents and wrote the checks on the spot. Our rates did go up though and you had to make an appointment for a damage assessment which took about a month.

[Fruit of the Spirit]

It only proves that senators don't do anything UNTIL they feel the effects...personally!

[blam]

Biloxi had nine casinos before the storm. Three are back in business and I read in my local paper (Mobile Register) that they are already grossing 80% of the revenues of all nine, pre-Katrina.

[robowombat]

Harrah's in NOLA is also back in the one armed bandit business. Casinos there never lived up to the expectations originally touted. (Well that was Gov Edwards waxing eloquent.) However, there is continual pressure to build more. We'll see what happens in the wake of Katrina.

[CindyDawg]

Well here's hoping and praying that you guys get a pass this year.

[MOgirl]

Hello,

My husband, myself, my BIL and SIL will be driving to NO next Thursday to attend our 6th annual French Quarter Festival. I am not surprised that the insurance companies are doing this (again). To those that expect the entire area to be back to pre-Katrina in a short time, here in St. Louis, we had major floods in the early 90's. Years later, there were still areas that were devastated. It takes time. Our thoughts and prayers are with those trying to rebuild their lives.

Glad to be here, MOgirl

[RouxStir]

"they are already grossing 80% of the revenues of all nine, pre-Katrina."

.....gambling away the insurance checks or the FEMA checks?

[robowombat]

One of the few benefits of Katrina is that parking is much more available around the Quarter and crime in the city is actually far less than a city of it's current size normally has. Although stealing of building supplies from homes being restored does continue at a depressing level.

[blam]

"Well here's hoping and praying that you guys get a pass this year."

Thanks, Cindy. I'm already stocked up for just about anything though, lol.

[blam]

".....gambling away the insurance checks or the FEMA checks?"

They get a lot of out of town/state people.

[SuziQ]

The problem is that most of these homes were destroyed or damaged by wind before the storm surge ever hit. Except for my sister's house. THAT was just taken from it's foundation by a 35 foot wave. It washed her concrete block house, which was about 150' away from the shoreline, right off it's foundation to heaven knows where, and moved another house, that was located 200' behind the concrete block one, up and 30' behind it's foundation. It was a HUGH and powerful wave.

[Unicorn]

I say the hurricane caused the flood.

[blam]

"It was a HUGH and powerful wave."

You can't describe it. It has to be seen in person to understand...then they'll stand there with their mouths open.