We pay our hard-earned money to them -- and get kicked in return.   They lie, cheat, connive, or otherwise make the lives of their customers or clients a living nightmare.  Because of this, we honor them with the Bad Business Award.

This month's award winner makes us wonder what the point is behind the mandatory auto insurance laws.

State Farm Insurance

• Like many other teenagers, Miss L from Springfield MO dreamed of owning a car: a 1989 T-Top Camaro.  Miss L scrupulously saved her cashier's pay for over three years, doing without extras while she searched for The Car.   Family and friends throughout the country were enlisted to help in her search, and finally a relative found one advertised in a Chicago paper.  The long trip to Chicago was worth it.  It was, indeed, The Car: excellent condition, metallic gloss paint, T-Tops, custom airbrushing, and many other extras.  It took almost every penny of Miss L's hard-saved cash, leaving her just enough to drive back home, but Miss L was thrilled with her dream-come-true.
  
  On Super Bowl Sunday of 2000, the day before she was ready to leave for home, Miss L was driving her new car through a quiet Darien intersection when the worst happened.   Ignoring a yield sign, a young man broadsided her dead center.  Fortunately, the young man was insured.  Unfortunately, he was insured with State Farm.  When Miss L tried to file a claim, wanting only to get her car repaired, she was shuttled back and forth between offices and adjusters.  Once Miss L managed to get in touch with an adjuster, she was told that the accident was her fault and Sate Farm refused to accept liability for her damages.  Miss L had to go to the police, who confirmed that the young man had indisputably been at fault.  Next, State Farm delayed examining the vehicle, making excuse after excuse.  Phone messages and letters to State Farm went unanswered.  "When I finally spoke to the claims adjuster, Mr Fitzpatrick, he was extremely rude and intimidating, as if it was my fault that they were going to have to pay," Miss L recalls.  Finally, almost a month later, State Farm  offered to total the car at $1500 less than the blue book value for an average car without all the extras.  Their offer didn't even consider the towing fees, accumulating storage charges or car rental while Miss L was stranded in the Chicago area.  "It seems like they did everything possible to drag this out as if hoping I would just give up.  
  
  As of now, Miss L is in the process of hiring a lawyer to assist in her claim.  She plans to include the mounting costs of being stranded in a strange city, losing her previous job, and the many other expenses this has cost her.  "I have nothing more to lose now," she says angrily.  "I could have started out filing numerous medical claims and other charges -- I had a terrible headache for days, and my passenger was injured, too.  But I was brought up to settle things fairly, even though I guess the insurance comanies feel differently.  I  told them all I wanted was to have my car repaired just the way it was before the accident, plus my towing and storage fees.  And they won't  even even give me that."

State Farm Insurance Web Site

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