Here's an interesting article I ran into put out by the American Association of Justice.  Based on criteria such as insurance rates, claim denials, refusing insurance to those who need it most and general level of concern for policyholders, they have rated the ten worst insurance companies in America.  To read the article, click here.  Whether or not you agree with the list, the important thing to remember is that all insurance companies are not created equal.

In negotiating with insurance companies on behalf of our clients, we have learned that different insurance companies can take vastly different approaches in settling a claim.  I remember a negotiation I had with an adjuster whose preferred form of communication was to shriek out denials and hang up on me, no matter how benign the reason for the call.  Sometimes, insurance companies will simply try to wait out a claimant, thinking that the claimant will settle on the cheap rather than hanging in through a trial.  We've been forced to file a lawsuit and spend months hacking our way through the litigation jungle right up until a few days before trial, only to have the insurance company offer a settlement in the amount for which we originally asked months earlier.  The moral:  check out your insurance company before you buy.  It's not all about rates, either - make sure you pick an insurance company that will be there when you really need them.