Washington Workshop to Address Increased Auto Insurance Complaints
Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is holding a workshop to hear from consumers, insurers and other parties on the reasons about auto and homeowners insurance issues being reported “at a record pace.”
The Office of the Insurance Commissioner reported a historic volume of complaints since 2021. The OIC’s Consumer Advocacy Program reports 467 complaints in April, up from the historic average of 287 per month — a 63% increase.
“Most of the time, the claims process works as intended when insureds and claimants alike are made whole,” Kreidler said in a statement. “But when there are disputes, the industry needs to step up and do more to help resolve them in a timely, accurate manner.”
Complaints involving auto insurance are responsible for most of the rise, with the majority of the auto insurance complaints revolving around how claims are handled. Auto insurance complaints rose from 2,216 in 2020 to 3,045 in 2021 and 3,276 last year — a 48% increase over a two-year period, according to the OIC.
Kreidler’s office will host a virtual workshop on July 17 to gather information from the insurance industry, the auto repair and restoration contractor industry, claim experts, and consumers to determine how the OIC will address the issue.
Further details and an agenda will be announced before the event and will include information on how to testify. The meeting will be open to the public and held virtually, via Zoom, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
A video of the workshop will be posted online later that month.