Jackson gives state few insurance complaints

Hundreds of insurance claims have been filed in Jackson since May 6, the evening a tornado touched down and sliced open a two-mile gash across the town.

But of the hundreds of people who filed claims, only three visited the National Guard armory on Wednesday to discuss insurance problems with a representative from the Missouri Department of Insurance division of consumer affairs.

"Frankly, it does surprise me that there weren't more than that, given the catastrophe of the situation and from what I had heard in other parts of the state," said Fred Schumpe, the state insurance representative who visited Jackson. "The fact that we didn't have more is probably a good sign."

That's the way Janey Foust, an agent with American Family Insurance, sees it.

"I think things are going well," she said. "We're at about an 80 percent close rate at this point. That's very good. The worst part is that contractors are very, very busy and people are being put on a list. Some folks may have the money, but can't get the work done right away."

According to Randy McConnell, communications director with MDI, 13,853 claims were made around Jackson and De Soto, the two hardest-hit communities in eastern Missouri. Because tornadoes did so much damage statewide, the figures were not broken down into individual counties, but state sections, McConnell said.

Of the nearly 14,000 claims, 5,600 were for automobiles.

Challenging claims

But claiming money hasn't been easy for some.

Inez Knott, a 72-year-old woman who lives at 511 Lindhurst, said her claim has been denied completely. After the storm, her son climbed on the roof to find dents and bangs on the roof, gutters and tin vents.

"The contractors all say it was hail damage," Knott said. "One of the contractors said it caused some holes in my vinyl siding. The insurance adjuster said the damage was done with a mechanical device."

Knott said it was nice to be able to take her complaint to the state.

Kathy Raines also visited with Schumpe Wednesday. She said she is getting conflicting reports from her contractor and her insurance adjuster. The contractor said the whole roof needs to be replaced, including the roof trusses. Meanwhile, the adjuster says the repairs can be made without replacing the entire framework of the roof and that the contractor is pushing to remodel, not repair, the home.

"We're not construction people and we're not insurance people," said Raines, who is currently living in a hotel with her husband and children while her tarp-patched home at 1314 North St. is still leaking water. "We just don't want to be taken advantage of, so we hope the Department of Insurance will look into our file and come up with a settlement that's fair for us and fair for the insurance."

Kaye Baker, whose home on County Road 602 experienced about $13,000 worth of damage, said she went more for informational purposes than to file a complaint. She said her policy did not cover what she thought it would.

She said Schumpe helped point her in the right direction as far as how to file claims on damage that was discovered late and how to upgrade her policy to make sure she'd be completely covered should future damage occur to her home.

McConnell said insurance companies must respond to the complaints within 20 days of receiving the claims, and MDI aims at having resolutions within 60 days of a complaint. He said MDI helped victims recover $10 million last year.

"We've just very recently had complaints started coming in," Schumpe said. "Typically it takes four to five weeks into a claim to find out that you have a problem."

bmiller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127