New York State's ranking of insurers by frequency of complaints against them lists New York-based Atlantic Companies as having the fewest.
The report, released last month, also listed Eveready Insurance Company, also based in New York City; Fairfax Financial, headquartered in Irving, Texas; Providence, R.I.-based Amica Mutual Group; and Response Insurance Group of Meriden, Conn., among companies with a low complaint level, in that order.
Of the major national insurers, Progressive was 10th, State Farm was 12th, Liberty Mutual 13th, Chubb & Sons Inc. 14th and Nationwide Group was 21st.
Other major companies on the list include GEICO, ranked 34th; Allstate at 26; St. Paul Travelers at 27; and White Mountains Group at 39. American International Group came in at 40.
The report ranks companies by the number of complaints made by a consumer against a carrier and upheld by the insurance department. It does not include complaints made directly to insurers and resolved by the carrier.
The complaints usually involve monetary disputes, failure to renew and prompt payment of claims. The 2006 report covers statistics gathered in 2005.
Of the top five, number one Atlantic moved from 27th in the 2005 report. Eveready moved from 14 to second place, Fairfax from 19th place to number three, and Response from 12th to fifth.
Fourth-placed Amica actually moved down one notch from third place in the 2005 report.
American Modern Insurance Group, which was ranked number one in the 2005 report, fell to 25th.
In terms of market volume or direct premium written in New York State, according to National Underwriter's Highline Data Service, of the top five Atlantic Companies was ranked 35th with close to $20 million in DPW; Eveready Insurance was ranked 37th at less than $18 million; Fairfax Financial was ranked 40th at more than $12 million; Amica Mutual was ranked 17th at less than $102 million; and Response Insurance Group came in at 25th at less than $50 million.
Response Insurance said in a statement that it was one of 19 companies to be ranked in the state's top 25 complaint ranking for three years in a row.
The company also pointed out that it beat all of the top ten auto insurers in the state.
"We are serious about our business and serious about customer service," said Mory Katz, chairman of Response Insurance, in a statement. "Our track record unmistakably proves it."
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