Driver says insurance dropped him for 4 claims in 4 years (plus, a speeding ticket)

CHARLOTTE — Mario Black said he was driving on Interstate 485 when he swerved to avoid a deer and hit the guardrail.

He was ok, but his SUV wasn’t. He told Action 9 investigator Jason Stoogenke insurance covered most of it, but then they mailed him a letter, dropping him.

The reason: too many claims. He had four in four years. Plus, a speeding ticket for 6 to 10 miles over the limit.

He said he didn’t realize insurance could do that.

“It’s disappointing because you pay so much money in insurance and then, when it’s time to kind of utilize it, you still get the short end of the stick,” he said.

His insurance — State Farm — wouldn’t discuss his case for privacy reasons, but says it considers “many factors” when underwriting a policy, including “the customer’s past claim activity and history.”

State Farm’s full statement:

“Due to our customer privacy policy, we are not able to discuss the specifics of any particular claim or customer’s policy information. What I can tell you is that State Farm absolutely values the relationships we have with our customers, and that is why underwriting decisions are never made lightly. Many factors are considered when underwriting an auto insurance policy because each customer’s circumstances are unique. We look at each customer’s situation on a case-by-case basis. This includes the customer’s past claim activity and history.”

The Insurance Information Institute, which speaks for the industry, says most insurers consider a driver filing four claims in as many years “high risk.”

And here’s the important part: ‘fault’ doesn’t matter.

Remember: yes, insurance can drop you for too many claims, even if they weren’t your fault. So you may want to think twice if it’s something you may prefer to pay out of pocket. That said, insurers usually don’t cancel coverage mid-term. They wait until the policy is up. So if you’re worried, at least you have time to shop around.

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