Home insurance complaints in California, 1998
The California Department of Insurance ranks the insurance companies based on the
number of "justified complaints" the department received compared to each
company's total number of policies. The department looked only at complaints received from
Jan. 1 to June 30, 1998. The complaint Ratio is based on the number of Justified
Complaints to 100,000 policies.
The California Department of Insurance considers a complaint to be justified when,
after investigation, an insurance company is found to be at fault. On the other hand, when
the department receives a complaint but finds the insurance company did nothing wrong, the
complaint is "unjustified" and not counted. If the department is unable to
determine the facts of a particular complaint, it labels it as a "question of
fact" complaint.
Homeowners insurance complaint ratios
Jan. 1 to June 30, 1998
1998 Rank |
Company Name |
Approximate Policy
Count |
Justified Complaint
Ratio |
Number of Justified
Complaints |
Number of Unjustified
Complaints |
Number of Question of
Fact Complaints |
Percentage of Total
Complaints Found to be Justified |
1 |
USAA |
171,212 |
0.0 |
0 |
8 |
3 |
0.0% |
2 |
USAA Casualty |
82,498 |
0.0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0.0% |
3 |
Associated Indemnity Corp. |
66,756 |
0.0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0.0% |
4 |
Foremost |
53,874 |
0.0 |
0 |
7 |
3 |
0.0% |
5 |
TIG |
51,744 |
0.0 |
0 |
9 |
3 |
0.0% |
6 |
California Casualty |
48,224 |
0.0 |
0 |
9 |
4 |
0.0% |
7 |
Residence Mutual |
32,399 |
0.0 |
0 |
6 |
2 |
0.0% |
8 |
Western Mutual |
30,458 |
0.0 |
0 |
8 |
4 |
0.0% |
9 |
Standard Fire |
30,128 |
0.0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0.0% |
10 |
Neighborhood Spirit Property and Casualty |
29,857 |
0.0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0.0% |
11 |
Unigard Indemnity |
27,368 |
0.0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0.0% |
12 |
American Modern Home |
27,338 |
0.0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0.0% |
13 |
Oregon Mutual |
26,096 |
0.0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
0.0% |
14 |
American Economy |
22,861 |
0.0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0.0% |
15 |
Nationwide Mutual Fire |
19,977 |
0.0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0.0% |
16 |
Pennsylvania General |
17,907 |
0.0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0.0% |
17 |
American Federation |
17,309 |
0.0 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
0.0% |
18 |
Allegiance |
16,814 |
0.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.0% |
19 |
Grange Insurance Association |
16,753 |
0.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.0% |
20 |
Michigan Millers Mutual |
16,561 |
0.0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0.0% |
21 |
State Farm General |
1,311,558 |
0.4 |
5 |
24 |
8 |
13.5% |
22 |
CSAA |
253,994 |
0.4 |
1 |
17 |
5 |
4.3% |
23 |
Safeco |
228,747 |
0.9 |
2 |
15 |
10 |
7.4% |
24 |
Allstate |
1,077,353 |
1.1 |
12 |
78 |
53 |
8.4% |
25 |
Civil Service Employees |
75,974 |
1.3 |
1 |
8 |
5 |
7.1% |
26 |
AMCO |
75,230 |
1.3 |
1 |
5 |
3 |
11.1% |
27 |
Prudential Property and Casualty |
71,985 |
1.4 |
1 |
15 |
7 |
4.3% |
28 |
Commercial Union |
71,698 |
1.4 |
1 |
12 |
5 |
5.6% |
29 |
Century-National |
190,800 |
1.6 |
3 |
20 |
14 |
8.1% |
30 |
Fireman's Fund |
60,577 |
1.7 |
1 |
8 |
4 |
7.7% |
31 |
Interinsurance Exchange of the Automobile Club
(AAA) |
170,556 |
1.8 |
3 |
6 |
8 |
17.6% |
32 |
Allied Property and Casualty |
52,078 |
1.9 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
16.7% |
33 |
Fire Insurance Exchange |
1,328,625 |
2.6 |
35 |
85 |
62 |
19.2% |
34 |
American Bankers of Florida |
30,355 |
3.3 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
20.0% |
35 |
Liberty Mutual Fire |
55,820 |
3.6 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
33.3% |
36 |
Hartford Underwriters |
52,783 |
3.8 |
2 |
5 |
1 |
25.0% |
37 |
California Capital |
78,110 |
3.8 |
3 |
4 |
0 |
42.9% |
38 |
CNA Casualty of Casualty |
26,000 |
3.8 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
14.3% |
39 |
Travelers Property Casualty |
37,500 |
5.3 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
33.3% |
40 |
Golden Eagle Insurance Corporation |
18,637 |
5.4 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
25.0% |
41 |
Western Home |
18,414 |
5.4 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
16.7% |
42 |
Five Star |
17,574 |
5.7 |
1 |
8 |
3 |
8.3% |
43 |
Mercury Casualty |
16,898 |
5.9 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
16.7% |
44 |
American Manufacturers Mutual |
31,514 |
6.3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
50.0% |
45 |
Twentieth Century |
57,520 |
7.0 |
4 |
15 |
18 |
10.8% |
46 |
Clarendon National |
24,833 |
8.1 |
2 |
16 |
4 |
9.1% |
47 |
Calfarm |
32,880 |
9.1 |
3 |
11 |
3 |
17.6% |
48 |
Farmers Insurance Exchange |
185,781 |
10.2 |
19 |
40 |
23 |
23.2% |
49 |
State Farm Fire and Casualty |
60,528 |
14.9 |
9 |
48 |
42 |
9.1% |
50 |
Pacific Specialty |
36,468 |
16.5 |
6 |
33 |
16 |
10.9% |
Source: California Department of Insurance.
Last updated Dec. 24, 1998 |