Complaints Net Tennesseans $2.2M In Insurance Claims This Year

Chattanooga Times Free Press (TN)

Jun. 23--In the first six months of 2020, Tennesseans received more than twice the money as a result of complaints about denied insurance claims than they did in the first six months of 2019.

"From the devastating storms of March and April to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tennessee consumers have faced personal and financial challenges like never before this year," said Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance Commissioner Hodgen Mainda. "I am immensely proud of my team's work through the first six months of 2020 to intercede between insurance companies and policyholders in order to help consumers have money rightfully returned to them during this tumultuous period."

From 1,084 complaints in the first six months of 2020, Tennessee consumers have received $2.2 million, according to a release from the department. In the first six months of 2019, the department fielded 1,076 complaints with $1.07 million returned to consumers, said Kevin Walters, department spokesman.

For the full year 2019, consumers saw $4.2 million returned through mediation via the department. Mediation is a process where state insurance investigators intercede between insurance companies and policyholders to get wrongfully denied claims overturned and paid for policyholders.

Tornadoes in Middle and East Tennessee during March and April brought nearly 30,000 insurance claims from policy holders seeking to recover from damages to homes, cars, businesses and other properties.

The Easter night storms that ripped through Chattanooga and claimed 11 lives across the region brought hundreds of million of dollars of property damage claims.

As of May 1, 13,349 insurance claims had been filed from policy holders in Southeast Tennessee due to the April 12 storms, which included seven tornadoes and winds up to 145 miles per hour.