National General Insurance Headquarters & Corporate Office

One Response

1. 

   Ellen Thomsen Killam

   June 8, 2023

   CEO Peter Rendall
   General Insurance

   Mr. Rendall,
   I grew up in a time when a person’s word and handshake was enough to ensure an outcome. It all had to do with a value for integrity and honesty, and that mattered to our America back then. In those younger days, I was proud to be an American, and choked up when I saw our flag. My friends who went to Vietnam, and those who died there, felt the same way. Such pride in who we are as a nation, our values, our integrity seems to be in question today. Seems everyone is uneasy and questions the direction our America is going these days.

   So why am I writing to you! As a retired CEO of my own company, who had numerous employees, I always appreciated feedback. I have had a disturbing and negative experience with General Insurance, of which I understand you are the CEO.

   Below I have enclosed a time line, but to keep it short: It began at an Arizona mall parking lot when I had pulled out of my parking place into a lane that was clear of vehicles. I was stopped and just put the transmission in forward when Mr. Foster (General Insurance holder) backed out of his parking spot and ran into my car and badly scraped the side passenger door. At the time he said to me that he thought I had already moved out, and admitted that it was his fault. Eventually, on April 25, 2023, ‘The General Insurance’ claim handler, Alicia Peterka, finally called me, and said she had gone over the information, talked to the man that hit me, and, despite the fact that he was disputing liability, that the pictures proved that I was not liable for the accident. She said it was his fault completely. (Assuming the conversation was taped, I invite you to listen.) On May 2, 2023, Alicia called me and now said that ‘The General’ would now only pay 50% of the claim, that I was equally at fault, and she suggested I get it fixed and they would pay 50% of the claim. Basically, here it is in June, I have yet to receive a written submission from ‘The General’ and despite my Hartford Agent reaching out to a number of ‘The General’ claim handlers, as well the ‘head claims manager” in Phoenix, no one from ‘The General’ has responded other than to say they will respond. The latest email from Lisa McCullough (Phoenix office) said, “I have added the team for review of the following claim.” Apparently it takes a team, which she had indicated before was already in place, to respond to my Hartford Agent, and to finalize a simple accident.
   I eventually had my car fixed, with the passenger door replaced, etc., and it cost approximately $4,000.

   I find it incredible that a trained claim’s handler (and supporting staff) would make a strongly worded statement to me claiming their client was totally at fault for the accident, that I “was not liable,” and then later claim the opposite. And to further the frustration, to basically not respond to my Hartford agent to solve this issue. It’s as if they plan to ignore the situation long enough, hoping it will just go away. What a dishonorable way to run a company. But such, it seems, is how business is done in America these days. Perhaps this type of behavor, on ‘The General’s’ part, as well as the driver of the other car switching his testimony, that contributes to the incredible unrest, angst, and ‘sense of entitlement to do whatever’ that influences our country today.

   Two years ago when I visited the ‘Wall’ in Washington DC to find the names of my 4 friends who died in Viet Nam, I felt such sadness that they had missed out on the joy of living, of all the wonders that life can offer. At the same time, I wondered if this current America was something they would have felt worth dying for; this country of eroding principles.

   Thank you for your attention in this matter.

   Sincerely,

   Ellen Thomsen

   778.953.1915
   buttonthomsen@hotmail.com

   Timeline: 4.16.23

   Accident Description: I had pulled out of my parking place into the lane that was clear of vehicles. I stopped and just putting the transmission in forward when Mr. Foster ran into me as he pulled out of his parking place from the opposing parking row. We got out of our cars and looked at the damage, whereupon he immediately moved his car back into his parking place before I could get pictures of the ‘positioning’ of the cars. Following the accident Mr. Foster and I exchanged information and discussed the accident. We both took pictures. He admitted that it was “his fault”, and he noted that he “thought I had already moved out”. (Wells Foster, policy #32-AZ 5475812)

   4.17.23

   I called General Insurance and was directed to Alicia Peterka who identified herself as the claim handler and provided the claim number. ( # 01006017147) She requested the photos I had taken of both cars, and I complied via email by sending eight photos the same afternoon, seven recording auto damage and a photo of Mr. Foster’s drivers license. She closed our conversation by saying if I sent the photos directly, she would respond that afternoon, or the next morning.

   4.18.23 through 4.25.23
   Then Alicia failed to contact me. I left two messages on 4.19.23 asking her to call, and one on 4.20.23. On 4.24.23 out of frustration I called the “head claims manager”, Erick Jacobson, and left a message for him to call me, with no response from him.

   4.25.23
   Alicia finally called me, apologized for not calling sooner, and noted in our conversation:
   – that she had talked to the man who hit my car, and, despite the fact he was disputing liability, that the pictures prove it was “his fault completely,” and
   – that he claimed there was only damage to my left fender. Alicia replied to him that his dispute was not true, and that she had photos that countered what he was claiming. ( He had taken pictures of the car’s damage but had not emailed them to Alicia.)
   – When I asked her to again clarify that I was not responsibility for the accident, she repeated, “You are not liable for the accident,” and that ‘it was ‘his fault completely.’
   – Alicia closed our conversation by stating that she would call me within a few days and tell me where to take my car for assessment.

   (My insurance company, The Hartford, had also told me I was not at fault.
   Nikki.recchion@hartford.com)

   4.28.23 Again I did not hear from Alicia as expected and called and requested a call back and to send me an email.

   5.2.23 I texted Alicia and asked for her to contact me. I also sent the photos again to apeterka@thegeneral.com and asked her to respond.
   – She called me and said she had now decided , along with “someone else”, that I was “equally at fault” and The General was only willing to pay 50% of the claim. She said I had no witnesses, she had changed her mind, and paraphrasing, ‘the pictures do not prove that it was only his fault.’ She said/suggested I could get it fixed and they would pay 50% of the claim!

   5.4.23 Email from Alicia asking for my car’s vin number. She emailed, “… so we can get your estimate completed for you as soon as possible.”

   5.5.23 I replied with vin number and; “Actually your client, Wells Foster, had taken a picture of my insurance ID card so he had the Vin number. You said to me, on April 25th, that he had not sent his pictures of the cars to you and, in a phone conversation you had with him, he claimed only my left rear fender was hit, like his. He demonstrated to you, in my opinion, that he can lie, as you said you told him what he was saying wasn’t true because you had my pictures. You told me after that conversation you had examined the pictures and concluded that I was not at all liable, that “It was his fault completely.” (which he confessed to at the time of the accident.) I thought at the time, ‘wow, this insurance company has integrity, think I’ll take a look at insuring with them.’ Now I know/believe The General fights to not pay out and is as questionable in terms of integrity as most insurance companies. I suspect you know this and are doing what you are told. ….”

   5.8.23 Alicia emailed back, “I appreciate you sending that to me. We are working on getting the estimate written for your vehicle and once we have that completed I’ll reach out regarding payment. We will pay based off of our estimate and then if there are any damages that we missed when the vehicle goes in for repairs and they tear the vehicle down they will send us the supplement for additional repairs.”

   5.8.23 I called the Scottsdale ‘The General” office and spoke to Lisa McCullough. I asked for the head office for claims, and basically understood from her that I should send my complaint to her and it would get into the right hands.

   5.9.23 Lisa McCullough emailed me “… I ask that you send that information to me and I will get this to our management team of all parties …. supervisor Erik Jacobsen, manager branch Lori Lewis, claims director Matt Lowry, as well as my immediate supervisor ….”

   5.9.23 I sent emails requesting that they (The General Insurance) reconsider my claim for the full cost to repair damage that resulted from the parking lot accident in which their insured client by his own admission was at fault. And that ‘The General’ had also concluded it was their client’s fault. I included a time line. Emailed to: 1. Alicia Peterka …apeterka@thegeneral.com, 2. Lisa … Imccullough@thegeneral.com
   3. claims@thegeneral.com

   5.10.23 Voicemail was left on my phone from “Eric.” “… we are sticking with a 50-50 responsibility of the damages now if you have coverage on first party coverages for the 2008 Toyota evening handle your coverages through your insurance carrier and then we can um they would send ____ subrogation and we can review ___ between both insurance company my call back number is 1.800.280.1466 ext. 3672 ….”

   5.27.23 I emailed: claims@thegeneral.com, Lisa McCullough, Alicia Peterka, and Hartford agent Nikki Recchion. “As I requested on May 9, 2023 email to you, I have not received a formal offer from you. …… My insurance representative has informed me she has left two voicemails and no one from ‘The General’ has responded. Her info: ….. Please respond.”

   6.9.23 To date, no one from ‘The General’ has responded that I am aware of.

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   June 8, 2023