Which Accident Insurers are Good? Car Accidents, Slip and Falls, and More
Justin Ziegler, Lawyer
Florida injury insurance companies have different reputations.
You may have control over some factors that affect an injury case. But you’re powerless over the particular insurance company who insures the careless party in a personal injury case.
Some insurers have a reputation for paying more than others. Even if the case has the same facts.
Many of the major insurers in Florida advertise on TV. Some of them have funny ads. However, several of them also have a reputation for making settlement offers that are below fair value. Basically, they undervalue the full settlement value of the case.
They assign less money to the pain and suffering component of a case. Adjusters often have some leeway in their authority to settle.
However, some companies take a hard company wide approach. These companies offer a fraction of the case value.
An adjuster may request a certain amount of authority to settle the claim. The supervisor or claims manager may deny the request.
Injury Attorneys Know Insurer Reputations Better than Insurance Agents
I believe that accident lawyers know the reputation of an insurance companies better than insurance agents. Injury attorneys know the exact facts that triggered a settlement.
There are so many facts that affect a settlement that may be tough for an insurance agent to understand settlement values. This true unless he or she has previously been a claims adjuster or injury lawyer.
Insurance agents may know which insurers are best in terms of paying a property damage claim. Property claims include damage to a car. Injury claims are a whole other ball game.
My above statement applies to the personal injury portion of a claim. It does not apply to property damage in an accident.
An insurance company’s financial strength has little to do with whether they will offer reasonable money to settle a personal injury case.
So while your insurance agent – or even a police officer who issues the ticket – may tell you that the other party has a good insurance company, they could be dead wrong.
For example, A.M. best rates Progressive Insurance, State Farm, Allstate, GEICO as a financially strong companies, yet they are known for offering a fraction of what a personal injury case is worth.
Even if you draw the best insurer in terms of reputation for paying injury claims, the facts of your case are still much more important than the insurance company.
If your only injury is neck pain or back pain that resolves in 1 day, even the best insurer will offer you little to nothing for the pain and suffering component of your case.
My list of the best and worst paying bodily injury insurers in Florida is below. It is based on my experience and/or that of attorneys whom I know.
Some of my settlements with certain insurers are below.
1. Who are the best personal injury insurers in Florida?
Some Florida injury insurers are better than the rest.
Florida has some excellent insurance companies in terms of paying personal injury claims. As with all personal injury insurers, you may still have to file a lawsuit to get fair value.
One of the many reasons to hire a lawyer is because the insurer knows that you are one step closer to filing a lawsuit. Your injury lawyer should know how to sue and litigate.
It is much more complicated in Circuit Court (if you want over $15,000). Florida small claims court procedures are easier.
With the best insurers, your chance of having to sue to get fair value is reduced.
Best Florida Personal Injury Insurance Companies
The best Florida bodily injury insurers are:
Bankers Insurance and Nova Insurance Company
Nova is one of the many companies that are part of the Hanover Insurance Group. Nova insures apartment complexes in Miami Beach. I believe that Nova has sold its policies to Bankers Insurance.
My actual settlement: $445,000for a man who was hit by a truck (insured by Chartis) in Hialeah, Miami-Dade County, Florida. All the settlements in this article are before deduction for attorney’s fees and expenses.
Most cases result in a lower recovery. It should not be assumed that your case will have as beneficial a result.
He fractured his leg and finger. Most cases result in a lower recovery. It should not be assumed that your case will have as beneficial a result.
Chubb
In Florida, Chubb, insures property management companies for office buildings. They also insure many other types of risks.
My actual case: $64,900for a client who tore his peroneal tendon in his ankle when he tripped and fell in hole covered with grass overgrowth at an office complex.
Chubb insured the property management company. $32,500 of the settlement was paid by Chubb.
In Florida, Chubb operates under the following names:
Chubb Custom Insurance Company
Chubb Indemnity Insurance Company
Chubb National Insurance Company
Chubb uses house counsel to defend lawsuits against its insureds in Florida. Chubb’s Florida house counsel is located in Sunrise, Florida.
They are the firm of Douberley, McGuinness & Cicero. They are staff counsel for Chubb & Son, a division of Federal Insurance Company.
That firm has represented a diverse group of individual and institutional clients in a wide-variety of cases, including major and mid-market corporations, municipalities, retailers, small businesses, commercial and residential real estate entities, homeowners associations.
They have also represented automobile dealerships, product manufacturers, contractors, nursing homes, healthcare providers, security contractors, hotels and restaurants, food suppliers, staffing agencies, not-for-profit organizations, and professional associations and professional individuals.
Some of their litigation practice is in the following areas:
General Liability / Casualty: Defense of claims for personal injury, wrongful death, property damage, automobile accidents, construction accidents; premises liability claims, and products liability claims.
The combined company will use Chubb’s name. I wonder if this is because Chubb has a better reputation than Ace at paying Florida accident claims.
Crum & Forster
Crum & Forster, among other things, insures supermarkets. I’ve seen Crum include a self-insured retention (SIR) in its liability policies.
My actual case: $300,000 Settlement paid by Crum and Forster but only after I filed a lawsuit and the costly was heavily litigated. My client had 2 skin grafts after he slipped and fell at a supermarket in Miami.
Fairmont Specialty Insurance Company
Fairmont Specialty Insurance Company is an excellent insurance company. It is part of TIG Specialty Insurance. It is part of the Crum & Forster Enterprise.
They provide many other types of liability insurance as well.
Hanover
Hanover sells casualty insurance in Florida as the following companies:
The Hanover American Insurance Company
The Hanover Insurance Company
Scottsdale Insurance Company
Scottsdale Insurance Company
In Florida, Scottsdale Insurance Company insures condominium associations, portable sanitation companies, homes, boats and much more. Scottsdale is an excellent Florida liability insurer.
Scottsdale is a Nationwide Insurance Company.
My actual case: $78,000 Settlementbefore a lawsuit was filed. My client tripped and fell at a condominium complex (insured by Scottsdale Insurance) in Miami Beach.
My Actual Case: $35,000 Settlement without a lawsuit for a child who suffered a wrist fracture (distal radius fracture) when she fell of a set of stairs due to a loose handrail.
Which Self-insured Companies Pay Well?
Although not an insurer, I heard from an attorney a few months ago that Home Depot overpays claims. Then again, I have also heard that Home Depot has been tough in the past.
2. Above Average Insurers
These above average insurers are one level below the best insurers. This is in terms of fairly paying personal injury claims. You may still have to file a lawsuit in order to get fair value for your case.
Philadelphia Insurance Companies
If you would have asked me a few years ago, I would have told you that Philadelphia Insurance Company is really cheap.
American Zurich Insurance Company is the 15th largest Florida workers’ compensation insurer.
3. Average Insurers
Below are some average Florida injury liability insurers.
Some insurance companies are average in terms of the amounts that they are known for paying in personal injury settlements. The following are average Florida personal injury insurers:
Travelers Insurance
In Florida, Travelers is average when it comes to offering fair value for pain and suffering. They seem to be offering less for pain and suffering than they used to.
In addition, Allstate also paid $100,000 to settle.
My Actual Case: $210,000 Settlement where my client fell from a loose booth at a Denny’s restaurant. It happened in North Miami Beach. He had two (2) wrist surgeries.
Charles Kraemer was the Traveler’s claims adjuster. He is now with Southern Insurance Underwriters.
One of Travelers’ companies is Travelers Property Casualty Company of America. It offers the following liability coverages: Commercial Liability, Ocean Marine, Private Passenger Auto Liability, Workers Compensation, Homeowners and Aircraft.
Liberty Mutual
Liberty Mutual Insurance logo.
Liberty Mutual insures hotels in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and throughout Florida.
Liberty Mutual insures hotels and much more. They are average when it comes to offering fair value for the pain and suffering part of an injury claim. They seem to be offering less for pain and suffering than they used to.
My client closed the shower door in his bathroom. The glass broke. His leg was sliced. The hotel was the W-hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Florida.
I settled a case for $100,000 with Liberty Mutual. A driver of a pickup truck hit my client in South Florida. The pickup truck driver hit my client’s car in the rear.
It happened in Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida. She had lower back surgery. The truck that hit her was insured with Enterprise Leasing. The truck
Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Company insures many business vehicles. These include cars, trucks, vans and more.
Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Company insures products in Florida. Liberty Mutual may insure a product that causes your injury in Florida. If so, you may have a products liability case with them.
Helmsman Management Services is a third party administrator (TPA) that offers claims management and more. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Mutual Insurance.
Ace Insurance Company
Ace Insurance Company insures
ACE insures company insures glass installers, supermarkets, rental car companies, boats and more. Ace paid $100,000 of uninsured motorist liability coverage benefits in a car crash case.
Our client fractured his lower leg (tibia). He had a intramedullary (IM) rod inserted into his leg. Two other parties paid a combined $225,000 to settle. The global (entire case) settlement was for $325,000.
Ace American Insurance Company was the 3rd largest ocean marine (boat insurer) in Florida. It’s written premiums were $19,522,387. It’s market share was 6.7%.
Ace is based in Switzerland.
Arch Insurance Company
Arch Insurance company is an average insurance company. They insure companies for general liability and auto liability with large deductibles and self-insured retentions.
David M. Siesko is Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Claims Officer for Arch Insurance.
American Empire Surplus Lines
I settled a case with American Empire Surplus Lines for $13,500. Someone threw a plate in a restaurant. It struck my client below the eye.
American Empire insured the South Beach, Florida restaurant. American Empire is an average personal injury insurer in my eyes.
CNA
I’ve had a good experience with CNA. They’re a commercial insurer. Commercial insurers tend to pay better than personal auto insurers.
Esurance
Esurance is an Allstate company. Some attorneys consider Esurance to be a below average when paying Florida personal injury claims.
Esurance Property & Casualty Insurance Company has the biggest consumer complaint share for private passenger auto insurance in Florida.
“Complaint Share” is the number of complaints received by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation relative to the insurance industry expressed as a percentage.
Their consumer complaint share is 1.19. This means that a little over 1 out of every 100 private passenger auto consumer complaints are against Esurance. The 2014 FLOIR report states that Esurance Prop & Cas Ins. Company had $191,935,619 in Florida direct written premiums.
Esurance Prop & Cas Ins Co’s private passenger written premiums were $190,254,326. This means that about 99% of Esurance Prop & Cas Ins Co’s business in Florida is private passenger auto insurance.
Esurance Prop & Cas Ins Co had a complaint index of .88.
“Complaint Index” is a ratio derived by dividing a company’s complaint share by its market share.
A complaint index of less than 1.00 indicates the company’s complaint share is disproportionately lower than its market share for a specific line of insurance.
This is good for Esurance.
Florida Insurance Guarantee Association (FIGA)
FIGA is average at paying injury claims.
The Florida Insurance Guaranty Association, created by legislation, handles the claims of insolvent property and casualty insurance companies.
FIGA paid a little less than half that amount. I argued that it was reasonable for my client to walk through the grass since the sidewalk came to an end.
The case would have been extremely difficult if there would have been an accessible safe area for my client to walk on.
I settled a case for $100,000 with The Hartford. My client fractured his thumb in an auto accident. He had arthroscopic surgery.
I also settled a case with the Hartford where they insured a hotel. My client slipped and fell in a hotel room bathroom. She claimed a knee injury.
According to the 2014 FLOIR Annual Report, in Florida:
Hartford Fire Insurance Company is the 3rd largest products liability insurer.
Hartford Casualty Insurance Company 10th largest business liability insurer.
Hartford Casualty Insurance Company is the 14th largest excess workers’ compensation insurer.
Nautilus Insurance Company
In Florida, Nautilus Insurance Company insures Florida restaurants and other businesses.
The photo below shows Nautilus’ office.
Nautilus is a W.R. Berkley Company.
Florida s a W.R. Berkley Company. They insure . We settled a trip and fall injury case with Nautilus for $18,000.
My client was a guest at a South Miami, Florida restaurant. She tripped on a vinyl landscape edging (seen below).
She tripped while exiting the restaurant.
Vinyl landscape edge protruding onto sidewalk.
My client suffered a cut below her eye. She went to the ER. She received stitches.
Nationwide
Nationwide Insurance is average at paying Florida injury claims.
Nationwide is average for paying Florida injury claims. Nationwide insures business premises, business auto liability, ocean marine (boats), private passenger auto and more.
We settled a multi-passenger Florida car accident injury case with Nationwide Insurance. The occupants received injury settlements in the following amounts: $29,700, $8,700, $6,500 and $6,500.
We also settled a Miami car accident case with Nationwide for $10,000. The BI policy limits were only $10,000.
My client suffered a tear in the central and volar portions of the scapholunate ligament. The scapholunate ligament is in the wrist.
For Florida business liability insurance, the 2014 FLOIR Annual Report lists Nationwide as the 13th largest insurer.
Nationwide Insurance Company of America wrote premiums of $9,436,825. It had 1.7% market share.
Nationwide operates under the following companies in Florida:
Nationwide Affinity Insurance Company Of America
Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Company
Star & Shield Insurance Exchange
We settled a case with Star & Shield for $19,000. Our client claimed aggravations to his herniated discs.
GEICO also paid an additional $20,000. North American Risk Services (NARS) handles claims for Star & Shield.
Main Street America Group (Old Dominion Insurance Company)
Main Street America Group has nine property/casualty carriers. Old Dominion Insurance Group is one of them.
Old Dominion is the 2nd largest Florida business liability insurer.
We had a $100,000 settlement with Old Dominion Insurance Company. USAA paid another $100,000. The total settlement was for $200,000.
United Services Automobile Association is the 8th largest Florida private passenger auto liability insurer. USAA Casualty Insurance Company is #10.
Western World
Average private passenger auto BI liability insurers
First Floridian Auto and Home Insurance Company (part of Travelers of Florida)
Mapfre Ins Co Of Fl
Metropolitan Casualty Insurance Company (Metlife)
Metropolitan Casualty Insurance Company (Metlife) insures Florida private passenger autos. Their complaint index of .36.
This is disproportionately lower than its market share for Florida a private passenger auto insurance. This is good for an injured accident victim.
Their complaint share is .40%. Metropolitan Cas. Ins. Company has received 4 complaints. Its market share is 1.11%. Their written premiums are $157,232,328.
Metropolitan Cas. Ins. Co. also insures Florida homeowners. Metropolitan Cas. Ins. Company has a complaint index of 1.75, which is disproportionately higher than its market share for Florida homeowners insurance.
Its complaint share is 0.34%. It had 2 complaints. Its market share is 0.19%.
Metropolitan Cas. Ins. Company had $16,892,672 in premiums. It has much fewer homeowners policies than many other Florida insurers.
Average private passenger auto BI liability insurers
Essentia Ins Co Foremost Ins Co Grand Rapids MI (part of Farmers Group)
First Acceptance Ins Co Inc
Florida Farm Bureau Cas Ins
Garrison Prop & Cas Ins Co
Horace Mann Ins Co
Integon Ind Corp
Kingsway Amigo Ins Co Massachusetts Bay Ins Co
Mendota Ins Co
Merastar Ins Co Mga Ins Co Inc National General Ins Online Inc
Occidental Fire & Cas Co Of Nc Omni Ind Co
Peak Prop & Cas Ins Corp
Peachtree Cas Ins
Permanent Gen Assur Corp Responsive Auto Insurance Company (The) Security National Insurance Company
Star & Shield Ins Exch Starr Indemnity & Liability Company
Titan Ind Victoria Select Ins Co
Vigilant Ins Co Workmen’s Auto Insurance Company
Average homeowner’s insurance companies
A homeowner’s negligence may cause someone’s injury. A homeowner’s dog may bite a guest, a mailman or FPL meter reader, deliver person or someone else.
A homeowner may accidentally hit someone with a shopping cart in a store.
A child may be a guest a homeowner’s house. The homeowner may not be supervising the child. If a child drowns, the decedent’s parents may have a personal injury claim with the homeowner’s insurance.
Below are some average homeowner’s insurance companies.
Citizens Property Insurance Corporation
Citizens Property Insurance Corporation is the largest Florida homeowners insurer. Their complaint index was 1.63, which is disproportionately higher than its market share for a specific line of insurance.
This is bad for injured accident victims. Their complaint share was 23.61%.
Basically, 1 out of every 4 consumer complaints for Florida homeowners insurance was against Citizens. They had 140 complaints.
Their market share is 14.51%. Its premiums were $1,272,335,759.
Universal Property & Casualty Insurance
In 2013, Universal Property & Casualty insurance was the 2nd largest Florida home insurer. They handle personal injury claims for dog bites, slip, trip and falls, swimming pool drownings and other accidents.
Homeowners Choice Property & Casualty Insurance
In 2013, Homeowners Choice Property & Casualty Insurance was the 4th largest Florida home insurer. They handle personal injury claims for dog bites, slip, trip and falls, swimming pool drownings and other accidents.
Florida Peninsula Insurance Co.
In 2013, Florida Peninsula Insurance Co. was the 5th largest Florida home insurer. They handle personal injury claims for dog bites, slip, trip and falls, swimming pool drownings and other accidents.
Other Average Florida homeowner’s insurers are:
St. Johns Insurance Company
Heritage Property & Casualty Insurance Company
American Coastal Insurance Company
People’s Trust Insurance Company
Security First Insurance Company
American Integrity Insurance Company Of Florida
Tower Hill Prime Insurance Company
Federal Insurance Company
Olympus Insurance Company
Tower Hill Signature Insurance Company
Tower Hill Preferred Insurance Company
ASI Preferred Insurance Corp.
Weston Insurance Company
Ark Royal Insurance Company
Florida Family Insurance Company
Westfield Insurance Company
Southern-Owners Insurance Company
Rockhill Insurance Company
Granada Insurance Company
First Community Insurance Company
Depositors Insurance company
American economy insurance Company
Average Florida Ocean Marine (& Boat) Accident Insurers
Continental Casualty Company
Seaworthy Insurance Company
Starr Indemnity & Liability Company
Seven Seas Insurance Company
Atlantic Specialty Insurance Company
National Liability and Fire Insurance Company
AGCS Marine Insurance Company
Great American Insurance Company of New York ($10,000 Settlement. Spleen injury. Auto case.)
XL Specialty Insurance Company
Navigators Insurance Company
Markel American Insurance Company
Average Business Auto Injury Liability Insurers
Ascendant Commercial Insurance
We settled a $25,000 case with Ascendant. My client claimed a deep bone bruise to his upper arm (humerus).
They insured a taxi company.
Other average Business Auto Injury Liability Insurers are:
Empire Fire and Marine Insurance Company
Amerisure Insurance Company
National Trust Insurance Company
National Indemnity Company of the South
FCCI Commercial Insurance Company
4. Below Average Insurers
Below average insurers for paying Florida injury claims.
These insurance companies pay below average in Florida injury claims:
Allstate Insurance Company
Allstate is a below average bodily injury insurer. They are one step above being terrible at fairly paying injury claims. Allstate insures cars, trucks and much more in Florida.
Auto Owner’s Insurance Company
Federated National Insurance
Federated National is composed of Federated National and Monarch National.
I settled a couple of uninsured motorist insurance cases with Federated’s predecessor for close to $20,000 combined. In one of those cases my client had a minor head injury. She also had thoracic (mid-back) pain.
Federated’s office is in Sunrise, Broward County, Florida. Federated National has a reputation for being below average for paying Florida personal injury claims.
The 2014 FLOIR Annual report lists Federated National as Florida’s ninth largest homeowners multiple peril insurer. They had written premiums of $220,639,653. They had a 2.5% market share.
For Florida homeowners insurers, Federated National had a consumer complaint index of 0.40, which is low. This is a good sign for injured victims.
Infinity Property & Casualty
Infinity is a bad Florida bodily injury insurer.
Infinity’s biggest market in Florida is for private passenger autos. Infinity operates under several companies in Florida.
Infinity companies which insure both business automobile liability, and private passenger auto liability are:
Infinity Assurance Insurance Company
Infinity Auto Insurance Company
Infinity Indemnity Insurance Company
Infinity Standard Insurance Company
Infinity companies which insure private passenger auto liability, but do not insure business automobile liability are:
My client fell from a bench at a park. It happened on the property of a condominium in South Florida. The actual bench is below.
Bench at Falls of Inverrary Condominium Complex in Lauderhill, Broward County, Florida
Mt. Hawley is a surplus lines insurer in Florida.
This means that persons insured by surplus lines carriers are not protected under the Florida Insurance Guaranty Act (FIGA) with respect to any right of recovery for the obligation of an insolvent unlicensed insurer.
Ocean Harbor
RLI Insurance Company
RLI Insurance Company offers personal umbrella policies. This added liability protection above and beyond the limits on the homeowners, auto, and watercraft personal insurance policies.
Security National
State Farm
State Farm Insurance logo
In Florida, State Farm insures cars, trucks, automobiles and homes. In 2013, they were the 3rd largest home insurer. They also handle personal injury claims for swimming pool drownings and other accidents.
5. Who are the worst personal injury insurers in Florida?
Below are the worst Florida injury insurers. Actor.
The insurance companies listed below have a reputation of paying the least amounts to settle a personal injury case. You may have a car accident where one of them insures the at fault party.
There is a high chance that at best there will only be $10,000 per person/$20,000 per accident available in bodily injury coverage.
Often times, the responsible party will have no BI liability coverage with one of these insurers.
These insurers also have a reputation for being more likely to deny coverage in a personal injury claim.
21st Century Insurance
21st Century Insurance is part of the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies. 21st Century is terrible. It is just as bad as Farmers Insurance.
Farmers Insurance
Farmers Insurance is one of Zurich Insurance’s three core business segments. Farmers is terrible.
Farmers Insurance Group offers auto insurance, renters insurance, homeowner insurance, renters insurance and personal umbrella liability insurance.
Farmers Business Auto Insurance
Farmers sells commercial vehicle insurance to protect businesses.
Example
A driver cuts you off and hits you. Some bones in your foot are broken.
The careless driver was working at the time of the crash. His employer had Farmers business vehicle insurance.
You can make a claim against the Farmers business vehicle insurance. It will cover you for your injury if the policy had bodily injury liability.
Bodily injury liability coverage is optional.
Farmers Motorcycle Insurance
Farmers sells motorcycle insurance as well. Farmers offers liability coverage on motorcycles.
Farmers also has Standard Coverage and Added Coverage options for motorcycles.
Standard Coverage includes liability coverage.
Added Coverage Options include medical payments coverage, increased limits on liability, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage and more.
Example of a claim against a Farmers Personal Umbrella Liability Insurance Policy
A car hits blows a red light and hits you. Your hip is fractured.
You have a rod put in your leg. Your will need multiple hip replacements over your lifetime.
The other car is liable. The BI liability policy of the other vehicle is $300,000.
The driver of the other car has a Personal Umbrella Liability Policy with Farmers. The driver’s Farmer’s umbrella policy would pay for your damages above the $300,000.
Farmers generally offers Personal Umbrella policies from $1 million to $5 million in coverage.
It is surprising that Farmers is terrible because it is part of Zurich, which is above average.
Foremost
Foremost is a member of the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies. In Florida, Foremost insures homes, renters, businesses, cars, manufactured/mobile homes.
Foremost operates under these names in Florida.
Foremost Insurance Company Foremost Property and Casualty Insurance Company Foremost Signature Insurance Company
6. Example of insurers offering different amounts.
I settled a herniated disc case for a man involved in a car accident. We settled without a lawsuit for $16,500 with Geico.
I mentioned above that Geico is an average insurer when it comes to paying bodily injury claims. If I would have drawn a better insurer, such a Travelers or Liberty Mutual, I think the offer would have been higher. Perhaps Travelers would have offered $20,000, $25,000 or more.
Over 86 Important factors may affect the settlement value of a Florida injury case.
Over 86 factors may affect an injury case settlement value.
We want to represent you if you were injured in an accident in Florida, on a cruise ship or boat. If you live in Florida but were injured in another state we may also be able to represent you.
