Posts Tagged ‘ Kanawha ’

Flip Side of Bad Faith Insurance: Gravy Train Claims

June 17th, 2010. By Hunter West

Everybody likes to beat up on insurance companies for denying legitimate claims. And they should be taken to task for such behavior. Americans buy insurance policies in an effort to do the right thing, so as not to leave their families vulnerable in the event they are injured or incapacitated in some way. They pay their premiums faithfully, according to the tenets outlined in the policy. 

When they get hurt, it is their right by law and contract to receive what they have paid for. Shame on any insurer that attempts to pull the rug out from under honest, law-abiding policyholders. Unum, notably, has in the past been accused of grievous examples of bad faith practices—allegations that in some cases have borne out to become fact. 

But it goes the other way too, ya know. There are those who attempt to take the insurance companies to the cleaners. While a wary eye cast for the n’er-do-well should not result in ill treatment of legitimate claimants, you would be amazed at what some people will do to pull a fast one on the insurers, rather than the other way around. 

Take the case of Wanda Podgurski aka Wanda Lee Ann Plager of Manhattan Beach, California. According to an investigation carried out by the California Department of Insurance (CDI), Podgurski took out no fewer than six insurance policies with six different carriers. 

Long-term care polices were purchased from Prudential Group Insurance, Kanawha Insurance, Unum Life Insurance Co. and Metropolitan Insurance Co. 

She didn’t stop there. Podgurski also took out disability income policies with Balboa Insurance Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Balboa, Kanawha, Metropolitan Insurance, Prudential, Reassure America Life Insurance, Unum
Posted in Emerging Issues, Insurance | 2 Comments »