It’s amazing what arrives over the transom some days. Amid the political hate mail (“You’re a real looser,” was one of my recent favorites) and the candidates’ fund-raising pitches and the dozens of offers to have extra cash by the weekend, one arrived this week that stood very much apart.
It came from a lawyer in a place called Campbell County, Kentucky, which sounds like a place that only horses could love, but I may be wrong about that. The subject said, “Liberty Mutual,” and the first line offered an expression of thanks – to me.
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Congratulations to Mr. Sanders for having the guts to stand up. Clearly if a company is screwing with you you don't take it, you fight them. Also, clearly, awards need to be high (punitive) to provide incentive for companies to act honestly and do the right thing. If everyone did this then some companies would behave a whole lot better, and life would be less predatory. Justice (like Democracy) is something that you have to constantly fight for, otherwise it goes away.
Kudos to Mr. Sanders and his client. And thank you for this story, Mr. McGrory. I was thinking about changing insurance providers. Liberty Mutual has just been scratched off the list of potentials.
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After years with Liberty Mutual & a particularly sleazy attmpt by them to deny a claim - when my car had been hit-and-run, I switched to AMICA. Wonderful company and I've had great 20 years of service with them so far.
Fantastic piece and great writing.
This is one loathsome company, isn't it? I'd be embarrassed to work for them. Nice work, Brian.
Aren't there any rightwingers out there who are going to defend this poor company from these ruthless attacks?
Ted Kelly is a Democrat and a good buddy of Deval.
Can you please identify how or why you think Kelly is a democrat? Just because LM began to donate to Patrick in recent years, that is not unlike many large corporations in MA. Look at May and NSTAR? Kelly also underwrote the 4th of July in Boston and there were other charitible connections to the State. I'm not saying your wrong, but I'm not convinced he's a democrate simply because Deval claimed him a friend.
$3.4 million? That couldn't even cover office renovations! Way too many Gordon Gekko's in corporate America these days.
In my experience, AMICA is just as bad with adjusters routinely denying legitimate homeowners claims.
Glad someone stood up against Liberty though... these insurance companies will do everything possible to get out of paying despite charging exorbitant rates.
Thank you, Brian! You are my hero. Keep on writing, and writing and writing!
What stinks is the folks working at Liberty Mutual who have to put up with this garbage called management. The folks doing the real work, enjoying and believing in what they do are subject to management that clearly does not care one bit about them. Rather than making the lives of their employees better due to good fortunes of the company, these select few are just piling up their bank accounts, plotting the next round of layoffs or cuts in benefits. If Liberty Mutual management thinks they have the respect of their employees, they are just a little too full of themselves, the employees just want to keep their jobs and only respect management as much as any other criminal.
Great article, keep up the goog work. Too bad lustful greed is so common with executives. I'd say shame on them but they are shameless and too often morally bankrupt.
Anyone who is still insured with LM given all that has been reported, must be a meathead or a lazy, indifferent and out to lunch. Here you have it. The opportunity to make a difference in a relatively small way. Terminating your policies is a very simple thing as they are annual contracts that can easily be written with other insurers. Isn't is our moral obligation to stand up against this type of gluteny and abuse? Why would you want your monies going to such a company? And before you pipe in that All Insurance companies are the same, take a look because that is simply untrue. Granted, LM and this article is the nightmare scenario played out in holywood repeatedly, but there are plenty of decent, down to earth companies out there and there are also lots of good insurance adjusters who work hard for their insured. I know, I was one. I was primarily an Independent adjuster who worked for many diferent companies and I was privy to the veriety in phylosophy and behavior. Not dissimilar to banks, with the large corporate bank typically acting, well, more corporate and less intimate then the hometown bank or Credit Union. Smaller Inurerers and sometime Mutual companies treat their insureds better on the whole. Farm Family Insurance, not to be confused with Farmers or State Farm, is such a company and they have maintained their reputation and direction even though they were purchased by a large Texes company about ten years ago. Norfolk Mutual is another and there are at least a handful of similar mutuals doing great work in MA. Check them out, but act and act soon. Send your message to LM where they will feel it.
My business model for a succesful two-employee insuance company: One to collect the premiums and one to deny the claims.