New York Releases Auto Insurance Rankings

Adirondack Insurance Exchange tops the newly released rankings of the least complained about personal auto insurers in New York, according to the New York State Insurance Department.

The annual list is based on the complaint ratios of all companies or groups of companies with at least $10 million in average premiums in 2007 and 2008.

It also includes insurers with less than $10 million in premium – if those insurers had 10 or more complaints upheld against them. In all, 39 companies are included in the list.

Along with Adirondack, seven other companies had no complaints upheld in 2008. They were: Amica Mutual Group, The Main Street America Group, QBE Insurance Group Ltd., American Express Group, Balboa Life & Casualty Group, Electric Insurance Group and Eveready Insurance Co. Of those seven, Adirondack and Amica are the largest, writing approximately $104 million and $86.7 million, respectively, in premium.

Typical consumer complaints involve issues such as delays in the payment of no-fault claims, or non-renewals.

In 2008, the average complaint ratio for insurers was 0.10 per $1 million in premiums. That means there was approximately one upheld complaint for every $9.7 million in premiums paid to insurance companies.

Twenty-eight companies had complaint ratios that were average or better.

Worst Scores

The worst-scoring company on the list was Long Island Insurance Co., which had 90 upheld complaints for $7.4 million in premium volume.

Rounding out the five worst were AIG, Tri-State Consumer Insurance Co., White Mountains Group and Countrywide Insurance Co.