On Jan. 27, 2011, PR Newswire issued a characterize from an Allstate Insurance press release on zodiac signs and accident rates which led many news agencies to interpret the data that people born under certain astrological signs have fewer or more auto accidents. The buzz was; “Your zodiac sign tells insurance companies if you are a good risk or not.”
What Allstate and the entire media failed to do was analyze the data sitting before them. Since Allstate now used the new, revised zodiac calendar which includes a new 13th effect, “Ophiuchus,” the number of days within each zodiac sign also changed. Scorpio, for instance, now only has six days, while Virgo has 45 days.
What Allstate did was select the aggregate Number of Driver Accidents whose birth dates fall on each zodiac sign and then made claims that the best drivers (or those with the fewest accidents) are the ones with the fewest accidents within their zodiac dates, and so on down the zodiac list.
According to the PR Newswire – Allstate release, it stated that: “Over the past year, Virgos were nearly 700 percent more likely to be in a car accident when compared to the determined and aware Scorpio, the best drivers in the study. Perhaps a Virgo's shy, perfectionist nature leads to overly cautious and insecure driving habits. By inequity, Scorpios were only involved in 1.5 percent of all accidents in 2010.”
From this data, Allstate extrapolated all sorts of incorrect information about their clients.
If Allstate had looked more carefully at their possess data they would have found that they needed to divide the Number of Driver Accidents by the number of days in the new zodiac calendar to arrive at an “apples-to-apples” comparison.
The photo shown here is my re-calculation of how their data should have looked by including the number of days in each zodiac sign.
When re-calculated like this, Aries comes out on top and Cancer on the bottom, but most importantly the contrast between the “safest drivers and the worst” is a mere 17.8 percent, not the 700 percent Allstate claims between the two extremes in their report.
The ACCIDENTS PER DAY in each sign is relatively end to one another and, in statistical terms, the difference is so nominal as to be irrelevant.
This mess-up has several bottom-lines:
1. According to a Fox News report of a national poll conducted by Belief Dynamics Corporation shows about 25 percent of Americans believe in astrology. That's about 4 million Allstate customers. What's next for Allstate? Comparing Jewish drivers to Christians, or blacks to whites? Allstate is a publicly owned company and has a moral obligation to be sensitive to reports it issues. Why cause unnecessary wretchedness to their clients and others?
2. And when Allstate does deny reports they should have another set of “clean, new eyes” examine the report for accuracy. Many Virgos are probably upset with the narrate, as well they should be. According to Allstate Insurance. “Virgos, known to be critical, meticulous and reserved, are also more likely to earn into a car accident.” This is just plain stupid analysis on the part of Allstate. Their PR person ought to be fired for crap like this, and their CEO held accountable.
3. Two days after their original “zodiac” press release, Allstate issued a damage control press release: “Allstate Corrects Misperceptions Zodiac Press Release May Have Created,” in which they clarify that being born under a certain zodiac effect, has “no role” in how they execrable their coverage. Apparently, Allstate thinks their customers will leave them thinking they are a greater risk to be insured because of their zodiac sign and their premiums will increase. Allstate unexcited had not figured out that their zodiac numbers were totally out of whack. Interestingly enough, the original zodiac press release has been removed from the Allstate website.
4. The media should learn a lesson in this too. While most media outlets, i.e. TV and radio stations, newspapers and Internet news services gather the bulk of their news via press releases distributed by independent third-party content providers, it should tranquil be up to the respective news station to screen information more carefully. Fair, there is a lot of news out there, but each situation only runs for each broadcast only a handful of news items and they should have an obligation to viewers and readers that the news going out has been vetted…that is the cornerstone of good journalism. However, most media now have disclaimers on their websites, saying in so many words they are not responsible for “information contained on their websites.” This is lawyer crap and is just moving us closer to a closed society…bad Soros and his dream of an open society.
Unbiased this week, another news myth broke here in Florida about a piano which mysteriously appeared on a sand bar off Miami. At first the local TV stations broke the news that a husband and wife photo team had placed the piano there for a world-wide photo shoot of pianos located in unfamiliar places. We only found out a week later that a group of teenagers placed the piano there as a prank. Fair of the story: If we cannot score accurate news from our professional media sources, then who?
In researching this report, I found many interesting facts about astrology which in fact has changed my sign.
The zodiac calendar starts on the spring equinox in March in the northern hemisphere, and in September in the southern hemisphere. All my life I opinion I was a Libra, but, being born in Australia, I now find I am an Aries, and with Ophiuchus muddling up the celestial waters, I have no idea what sign I am any longer.
And since I was born at 8 a.m. local time in Australia on Oct. 10, it was still Oct. 9 in the States…so do I celebrate my staunch birthday on the 9th or the 10th? Being Australian, I celebrate both days with lots of drinking and partying, but this should have legal implications too since I live in the States now. I'll check into this and get back to you.
In the meantime, in our new Internet age, when you see a news story, all free people who aspire to stay that way should read, study and part their wisdom . We are all the eyes, ears, and analysts of our new information age…it appears it is up to people reading the news to effect clear it is correct and accurate.
Peace
Sources:
PR Newswire, What Does Your Zodiac Sign Say About Your Driving? , Allstate Press Release.
Fox News Polls, More Believe In God Than In Heaven, By Dana Blanton.
Allstate Newsroom, Allstate Corrects Misperceptions Zodiac Press Release May Have Created, Laura Strykowski, Allstate.
Valleynewslive.com, Station make no warranties or representations in connection therewith.
Soros, Open Society Foundations, About the Open Society George Soros.
Filed under Allstate by on Mar 14th, 2011. Comment. 
California wildfire victims are being warned to tread cautiously when filing claims for their losses. Recalling tactics used by insurance companies after Hurricane Katrina and the Oakland Firestorm, InsuranceConsumers.com has released a consumer advisory with tips on how to increase your chance of getting your homeowners insurance claim approved.
The first step is to educate yourself about what is and is not covered under your policy. You will probably need support in deciphering some terminology, and the group has a section on Homeowner’s Insurance to encourage clarify. They also recomment content on insulttoinjury.org, a non-profit. Numerous other consumer information sites exist, and spending a little time researching on such sites is the first step, according to the consumer’s groups.
Another important step to take is to hire your own appraisers, contractors, or others that will give a firm dollar figure to the amount of damage you sustained. There is a difference between a bid and an estimate. Bids, specifically a not-to-exceed bid, is what you want to submit to the insurance company. Estimates are flexible numbers that could fluctuate and be disputed.
The group goes on to make several other points regarding filing claims with home insurance companies. Some of the valuable points follow:
1. If the dollar amount of your policy turns out to be too low to cover your losses, the insurance company may be forced to pay a higher amount. In this case it must be shown that the company sold you an inadequete policy in order to keep your premiums coarse enough to be competitive. Major insurance companies, including Allstate, were fined millions of dollars for under-insuring homeowners in order to increase sales after the Oakland Firestorm in 1991.
2. Remember that the insurance adjuster works for the insurance company, and often draws bonuses for saving the company money. This reinforces the need to hire your own appraisers (an adjuser is essentially an appraiser for the insurance company).
3. If you believe that the company has handled your claim in bad faith, you have the right to sue for your claim as well as all attorney fees, court costs, and associated losses. This could be a point of leverage when dealing with insurance companies.
The full list of 10 tips can be found at the group’s website, as well as a helpful free glossary and directory of related websites. Some of the site’s resources require a little membership fee, and while membership may be useful to streamline your research, you can always check with the station insurance commission and related web sites as sources of information instead.
Source:
InsuranceConsumers.com, Consumers Group Cautions Firestorm Victims, PR Newswire
Filed under Allstate by on Feb 27th, 2011. Comment.
With so many major insurance companies and their giant advertising campaigns clamoring for your business, it can be difficult to find which one is right for you and your family.
Two Types
There are two ways to obtain insurance, either through an accurate agent or online. More ancient companies such as State Farm, American Family, and Allstate generally have individual agents who service your business and handle your policy exclusively. Companies like Geico and Progressive are more technology based companies that obtain and service your business online or over the phone only, with no direct agent. While both are perfectly acceptable ways of obtaining insurance there are some great differences between the two.
Traditional – Single Agent
Traditionally, if you wanted to purchase an auto insurance policy you would call your family agent and spot up an appointment to come into the office. The benefit to sticking with this type of insurance agency is that you do receive more personalized service. You earn to know your agent, meet with him or her face to face to discuss your needs, and have one specific person to call with any questions or concerns you may have regarding changes to your policy.
While this is definitely helpful in some instances, there are also downfalls. Because agents charge commissions from the proper insurance companies, this is reflected in your payment amount through higher premiums. Also, many people feel that having a squawk agent would be an advantage if you are involved in an accident as your agent will objective handle the entire process. This is not true. Agents are in the business of selling and servicing policies, not claims. Most companies defer their handling of auto accident claims to adjusters who often work in the corporate office.
Online at By Phone
The newest way of handling your insurance is through the internet or by calling a toll-free phone number. With this type of insurance company, you do not have one specific contact but can contact the corporation directly which usually means not talking to the same person twice. Because a lot of these companies run on a call-center environment, they do not have the same operating costs as those with individual agents do. This dissimilarity is often reflected by lower insurance premium rates.
Best of Both Worlds
The little known fact about choosing between an online company or an individual agent is that sometimes you can have the best of both worlds. Some companies, (like Geico) have personal offices in many major metropolitan offices where you can actually go and talk to an agent versus handling everything online. Because they have fewer offices, the effect on your rates is still very low. But, by having only a few small offices, these companies can peaceful offer the personalized service most policyholders want.
My Opinion As A Seasoned Insurance Sales Agent/Claims Adjuster
My personal take, as a former claims professional and insurance agent? Go for the savings. Insurance rates go in cycles, but by sticking to a website or 800-number company the amount you will save far outweights speaking to a different person every time. After all, how often do you really talk to your agent? Most companies provide claims service at a corporate level, which means your agent most likely will not handle any accidents you have anyhow.
As always, I advice everyone to check their insurance rates three months before each six month renewal to try to get the best deal. Some years certain companies are the best, other years they are not. But it never hurts to check, and with the invention of internet quoting it is even easier and less time consuming.
Filed under Allstate by on Feb 20th, 2011. Comment.
If you have been alive to in an auto accident and the insured driver that hit you has Plot Farm or Allstate auto insurance. I would think twice about filing a personal injury claim, especially if it’s a small bodily tissue injury. Such as a simple torn ligament or “whip lash” in the neck from being rear-ended by another vehicle and if the property damage is a very minimum.
State Farm and Allstate both are notorious for choosing to drag out your personal injury claim for payments almost (2) two years in the state of Georgia because they legally have 2 years to “pay up” before a law suit will be filed by your attorney. Most U.S states have anywhere from 1-4 years for this medical claim payment payout period simply because of the litigation process can hold so long and use the county courts time. (This is based on personal facts).
One reason why is because personal injuries can linger on for years and years to arrive. In other words, if the insurance company settles immediately, and you have repecussions from this injury later on in life. Your attorney(s) can always go succor and file a law suit regarding this injury against the other insured driver and unfortuantely NOT the insurance company. (State Farm and Allstate are both aware of this situation. This is most likely the MAIN reason why they take so long to choose your medical claim payment).
Another determined reason why is because companies like State Farm and Allstate know they can objective simply get away with it? Especially if it’s a neck injury such as “Whip Lash” which is extremely hard to prove in front of a jury trial. Over 90% of the time this particular injury can not be shown on x-rays, CT scan and even an MRI report, although medical examiners most often agree that it’s possible to have this wound for years, (unfortunately, this injury weakens the muscles and joints around the neck).
The auto accident victim also knows the injury is there and most likely feels the damage for years and years after this terrible accident. Most personal injury attorneys will tell you to immediately go the orthopedic surgeon and or chiropractor just so you can run up these gigantic medical bills, which looks “Great” on their initial describe to insurance adjuster(s) to decide your case which normally begins after about (6) six after you hire this legal counsel to represent you.
Most auto accident tissue injuries like torn ligaments, herniated disc in the back or neck, or torn cartiliage in the knees are NEVER admissible in court. Unless the plaintiff’s attorney has an incredible medical provider that has proved all the facts regarding this particular injury and examination in their legal deposition, which also comes out of your final settlement normally $2500.00 for each expert doctor.
“If your property damage to your vehicle is very small” State Farm and Allstate both know they can get away with your medical payment forever!” simply because of what it looks like in front of a jury if litigation is filed. Your attorney will win in the end, even if you lose your case? Ironically by charging you for un-called for itemized expenses. If you do not pay these so-called expenses, he could possibly file a jugdement against you, thus in return hurting your credit, which can be embarrassing to explain as possible insurance fraud.
Also, remember in the end if you lose your case, you will still be responsible for paying these outrageous medical bills. Chiropractors love to run up these expensive bills and try to charge it to the insurance companies, especially if this is a personal injury incident based on an auto accident. You will be expected to file these injuries with your personal medical insurance company in the beginning if you have available valid medical insurance. If Not? Your mostly likely screwed!
However, if Location Farm or Allstate refuses to pay for these personal injuries in the extinguish. Your personal medical insurance may “throw up a red flag? ” And wonder why the other insured driver’s insurance company refused to pay for these all these medical bills as a result of this accident and or incident occured on this particular date if finally stated in front of a jury. Thus, causing you more embarassing and monetary problems later on down the road “Looking as insurance fraud” as previously stated.
If my understanding is correct. Your medical insurance company may even contact you personally in writing and also your medical providers (doctors) later on and ask “Why was this claim or case denied for payment? ” If you have capable credit and a middle class or even an upper middle class income or above. This could possibly cause you problems later on in life, which your attorney will never tell you about in the beginning of your initial consultation.
It’s ironic how so many personal injury attorneys and chiropractors seem to always join hand and hand whenever it comes to these particular insurance claims. State and Allstate both know these facts and have the legal staff to fight these cases over a period of time. “Fortunately for all of them, Time is how they make their money!” Meaning that your case has been set aside for a later POSSIBLE payment between the insurance company, attorney and even your medical provider(s).
I realize this sounds like a “Game!” Your right it is!” Your state insurance commissioner understands this pickle and most of them fight this situation on a daily effort. But, the problem is? these true people regarding insurance companies and personal injury attorneys are constantly aware of the changing laws. “Most personal injury attorneys fight for the laws to accomplish them more money? “
Insurance companies at the same time “fight” for better laws to reduce their payments of small so-called personal injuries. The un-aware consumers of insurance always seems to lose in the raze somehow because of bogus personal injury attorneys. My personal advice is? Don’t file a personal injury claim with State Farm or Allstate unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Thanks for reading,
Phillip Chambley.
Filed under Allstate by on Dec 15th, 2010. Comment.
