In Miss., Dale Urges Mediation to Settle Remaining Katrina Claims

Mississippi Insurance Commissioner George Dale has pledged that the Mississippi Insurance Department will continue to dedicate itself to getting as many Hurricane Katrina claims paid as possible.

Citing a report from the industry’s Insurance Information Institute that 94.3 percent of homeowner claims filed in Mississippi have been settled, Dale is urging consumers and insurance companies to continue working together to settle the remaining claims.

“It is that other 5.7 percent of claims that concerns me most. I want all claims paid as quickly as possible so people can continue to begin rebuilding their lives. Katrina was a terrible tragedy for Mississippi, but I am confident that Mississippians, being as resilient as they are, will come back stronger than ever,” he said.

He urged claimants and insurers to utilize mediation programs that are available to resolve immediate differences, while long term solutions to insurance issues are pursued.

“[W]hile that [mediation] will help solve some of the short term problems such as claims payments, we must continue working together with consumers, the insurance industry, and state and federal legislators to find solutions to long term insurance problems illuminated by this storm. We all want the same things for people living in disaster prone areas of Mississippi, for there to be affordable insurance available to everyone,” Dale said.

Source: Mississippi Insurance Department