News 2940 State Farm Appraisal Mississippi Homeowner

Home insurance provider State Farm is in the news again. This time it has nothing to do with rate hikes or cancellations, but with how to deal with disputes over damage claims. Homeowner Henry Kuehn's home insurance policy with State Farm clearly says that if the parties can not come to an agreement over a claim, the policyholder may demand an appraisal of the claim. Kuehn says that he is not satisfied with the payment State Farm gave him for wind damages sustained by his Mississippi home. He requested appraisal and State Farm has continuously refused, regardless of the language in Kuehn's policy. They say that mediation overrides an appraisal. While mediation is cost free to the policyholder, the outcome is ultimately decided by the insurance company. In an appraisal, an impartial third party decides the outcome. Kuehn's attorney says they do not want to sue State Farm, they wanted the appraisal so the issue could stay out of the courts, however, if a lawsuit is the only way to move forward, his client will do so.

Read more: State Farm refusing appraisal, despite its own policy language (WPMI 15) OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (AP) - State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. refuses to engage in the appraisal process to resolve Hurricane Katrina claims, even though its own policy mandates appraisal on demand when the amount of an insured loss is in dispute.