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Sisters Blew Whistle on Katrina Claims
Associated Press (appears on Yahoo) ^ | August 26, 2006 | Michael Kunzelman

Posted on 08/26/2006 2:40:15 PM PDT by khnyny

Who are the moles? The question was like a parlor game for employees of State Farm Insurance Co. after Hurricane Katrina, one they nervously played during coffee breaks or in the parking lot after work.

Richard "Dickie" Scruggs, a prominent lawyer of tobacco litigation fame, created a stir by announcing in March that two "insiders" were helping him build cases against insurers for denying claims for Hurricane Katrina losses. Their identities remained a mystery until the day in early June when Cori and Kerri Rigsby — employees of a company that contracted with State Farm — told a supervisor they were cooperating with Scruggs.

That startling admission — and their subsequent resignations — ended a risky charade. The Rigsbys say they spent months collecting reams of internal State Farm reports, memos, e-mails and claims records before they gave them to Scruggs and state and federal authorities.

The sisters, who managed teams of State Farm adjusters, say the documents show that the insurer defrauded policyholders by manipulating engineers' reports so that claims could be denied.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: Alabama; US: Louisiana; US: Mississippi
KEYWORDS: corporateabuse; corporatefraud; corruption; fraud; goodneighbor; hurricane; insurance; insurancefraud; insurancesucks; katrina; lyingsobs; nola; sisters; statefarm; stupidcompany; yougosisters
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To: freekitty

If a crime was involved and the documents were provided to the FBI to prove this, how is this stealing?

I'm sorry but if someone is commiting a crime it is your duty as a citizen to report it. Employer be damned.


21 posted on 08/26/2006 3:33:17 PM PDT by JNL
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To: khnyny

My wife and I were at a dinner with some other couples. One man just came back from a several month stay in the NO area working as an insurance adjuster. He proudly told me how he worked with property owners to inflate their insurance claims and then in his next breath asked, "so are we gonna impeach Bush this fall".


22 posted on 08/26/2006 3:36:01 PM PDT by sierrahome (department of redundancy department)
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To: khnyny
The news media only refer to far-left Dems as whistleblowers. Conservatives are snitches in the same type of situation. I don't know what happened. I know that after the 1994 earthquake here in SoCal, State Farm was more than generous with our policy. Came to our home, did an inventory and cut us a check, including cash for the night we had to sleep in the car. I know several people who scammed their insurance companies after the quake. Coincidentally (?) they were all Dem friends of mine. I know about the scamming because they bragged about it.
23 posted on 08/26/2006 3:47:40 PM PDT by originalbuckeye
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To: dirtboy

AXCELLENT.
The new lending company founded by Axcel Rose.


24 posted on 08/26/2006 3:54:41 PM PDT by em2vn
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To: stubernx98
There is a lot more fraud by the insured than by the insurers. It costs us dearly.

That's sure true! I lived in CA during a few nasty earthquakes. Some of the claims I know about are to fix a swimming pool that had a crack for at least two years; professional cleaning and replacement of a kitchen floor and counters because bottles had broken and spilled (the owner had wanted a kitchen re-do for years); replacement of a tv that fell and broke (the tv hadn't worked in quite awhile); etc. All paid.

A natural disaster is viewed by many as a way to get home improvements they've wanted for years.

25 posted on 08/26/2006 4:01:42 PM PDT by speekinout
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To: Comus

I too have been pleased with State Farm's handling of and payouts for my hurricane claims. I could certainly get cheaper auto rates but refuse to do so because of the outstanding service over the years I have received from my local agent. However, when it comes to bodily injury claims where damages are not so black and white and otherwise as measurable, State Farm becomes the scum of the earth.


26 posted on 08/26/2006 4:10:25 PM PDT by HockeyPop
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To: freekitty

This is a case where two wrongs will make a right!


27 posted on 08/26/2006 4:17:10 PM PDT by JRochelle
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To: labette
"True. I suppose our concern should be, "which is the greater evil"? {IF the allegations are true.} "

That's the exact excuse the NYT used when they disclosed classified "leaked" information...it was for the "common good", don't ya know?

Myself, I would hope the illegal acts of the insurance companies could be proved LEGALLY, without illegal seizure of internal documents, but the cockroaches (aka, trial lawyers), will stoop to any level, legal or illegal, to make a few million dollars.

28 posted on 08/26/2006 4:18:11 PM PDT by traditional1
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To: khnyny

Nice......that's my homeowners as well as my auto insurance company! Between the two, insurance is costing me arount 9,500 a year. Well when the kids move out, it's time to switch!


29 posted on 08/26/2006 4:19:34 PM PDT by alice_in_bubbaland (NY Slimes the paper of record for OBL!)
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To: khnyny
A greedy ambulance chaser named Dick who is a "prominent lawyer of tobacco litigation fame" is all I need to know about this farticle.

Hopefully, the truth will come out and maybe these insurance companies will sue Mr. Moneybags and his two "whistle blowers."

When Primetime and 60 Minutes cover something, I know I'm only getting one side of the story. Their side.

30 posted on 08/26/2006 4:20:34 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (What changes do you intend to make to your lifestyle now that Pluto is no longer "a planet?")
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To: khnyny

I'm four hours inland by car from the Atlantic, and my insurer (Nationwide) sent out letters, and even did a followup telephone call, explaining that they did not cover flood damage. I made a point of asking just what their legal definition of "flood" was, because I perceived the whole thing as a preemptory attempt at abating any claims for water damage. Their legal definition was encroachment upon a structure due to naturally occurring, rising water. We can, on rare occasion, get hurricane force winds and very heavy rain this far in, but I am not in an area that could conceivably flood. If my house is ever under water, a fair amount of the whole county will be.


31 posted on 08/26/2006 4:20:57 PM PDT by RegulatorCountry
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To: sierrahome

IMHO that adjuster is a SOB!


32 posted on 08/26/2006 4:21:12 PM PDT by alice_in_bubbaland (NY Slimes the paper of record for OBL!)
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To: RegulatorCountry

This past year State Farm Ins., sent us a letter advising us that earthquake insurance is no longer included on our home owners policy. Living in NW New Jersey, hopefully we don't have to worry about that! (crossing fingers) :)


33 posted on 08/26/2006 4:25:47 PM PDT by alice_in_bubbaland (NY Slimes the paper of record for OBL!)
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To: alice_in_bubbaland

I'll have to check my homeowner's policy for earthquake coverage; that really never even dawned on me. NC is actually considered a "moderate risk" state, due to the faults at Charleston, SC.


34 posted on 08/26/2006 4:30:31 PM PDT by RegulatorCountry
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To: RegulatorCountry

Good idea! Which insurance company do you have? I'm guessing that this is the new trend for insurers.


35 posted on 08/26/2006 4:36:02 PM PDT by alice_in_bubbaland (NY Slimes the paper of record for OBL!)
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To: alice_in_bubbaland

We have State Farm,even had to collect because of an auto accident were very pleased with them!!


36 posted on 08/26/2006 4:42:40 PM PDT by Antique Gal (Antique Gal)
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To: balch3

where does it say they are now on the payroll of a trial lawyer? What *I* read said they turned the documents over to Scruggs, STATE AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS. Fraud is fraud. Obviously you've never been victim of the biggest con artists in the world .. insurance companies.


37 posted on 08/26/2006 4:45:48 PM PDT by EDINVA
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To: alice_in_bubbaland

I'm with Nationwide. I imagine their actuarial tables were blown out of the water in the past few years, so they're looking to limit their potential exposure going forward.


38 posted on 08/26/2006 4:47:31 PM PDT by RegulatorCountry
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To: Antique Gal

I have no complaints with their claims dept. it's their rates that are killing our budget, now this.


39 posted on 08/26/2006 4:52:55 PM PDT by alice_in_bubbaland (NY Slimes the paper of record for OBL!)
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To: shield
The forgery stuff was pretty bold. Also, the sisters could not ethically condone the behavior going on at the company. It was eating them up.

The attorney for SF on that show was useless - really makes one think they are covering up something.

40 posted on 08/26/2006 4:53:01 PM PDT by stainlessbanner
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