by Guest » Sun Jan 13, 2008 09:54 pm
a residence has a furnace blowback. the place is black from soot. the adjuster calls the restoration firm to go clean the residence. the manager of that firm tells his employees not too clean the residence very good as he owns a painting company and wants to make money painting the place. is this considered fraud on his part?
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 01:36 am Post Subject:
Nah, fraud would be if the furnace was sabotaged by the policy holder. What the firm is doing though, I'm sure it's a bad practice.
Not sure about the legality of it though, I'm sure that it would break certain business laws, but US Business law is my greatest weakness so don't quote me on it.
Might want to tell the adjuster about it, but if you got this info because you work for the company, tread carefully, you don't want to violate an NDA and get sued and fired. If it's covered by the NDA, speak to a lawyer about it, because I know that there are laws to protect whistleblowers.
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 03:18 am Post Subject:
i was eventually fired after 20yrs. of service and settled out of court for wrongful dismissal. i took pics of the jobs in question and nformed the adjuster who did nothing and also the insurance company involved who also did nothing.
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 07:39 am Post Subject:
i was eventually fired after 20yrs. of service and settled out of court for wrongful dismissal. i took pics of the jobs in question and nformed the adjuster who did nothing and also the insurance company involved who also did nothing.
Then I may say that you stand very little chance of doing anything good for that poor policy holder. Now it is his turn to take the case to the consumer court. The restoration firm is surely breaking some laws by not performing the task properly. The claimant should contact his insurer or the adjuster and register his dissatisfaction over the task done. That may force them to act.
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 10:04 am Post Subject:
your absolutely right, lost in the savanna, but the poor policy holder was a 70 yr. old woman who lived by herself and did complain once to the adjuster and the adjuster did nothing, the adjuster did not go look at the clients residence and the contractor finished the painting of the residence with latex paint which does not seal the odour or the smoke,
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 10:36 am Post Subject:
a residence has a furnace blowback. the place is black from soot. the adjuster calls the restoration firm to go clean the residence. the manager of that firm tells his employees not too clean the residence very good as he owns a painting company and wants to make money painting the place. is this considered fraud on his part?
YES! of course this is fraud....if he tells his employeesnot too clean the residence very good
because he wants to paint it and make even more money on the claim, (when cleaning would've sufficed, and you indicate it would) OF COURSE! This is an unethical restoration company..if the adjuster KNEW this then they too should've been fired..sorryPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 10:38 am Post Subject:
If you have not you need to contact your states dept of insurance and file a very lenghtly complaint!!!
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:08 am Post Subject:
lori, i'm from canada and worked as a painter for this restoration firm. i was fired after 20 yrs. service for complaining about the lack of cleaning in these residences after a fire or furnace blowback. i thought that i had done the right thing to protect myself and to hold the adjuster and my employer accountable by taking pics of afew of these jobs including a claim my former boss submitted for his residence where water seeped into his basement through the foundation. there was only a half of sheet of drywall replaced,as for contents he got all new carpet, new furnace and also anew big screen t.v. his old t.v. he received for nothing from another clients claim. myself and 2 other employees than delivered that old big screen to the adjusters house as there was nothing wrong with it then either. when i complained about the lack of cleaning at the ladies residence to the adjuster, who works for crawford adjusters, she did nothing. when i complained to the manager of the company she advised me she was to have no conversation with me and gave me the vice president of crawfords e-mail. when i contacted him he only wanted to talk to my lawyer. when i contacted the insurer, state farm, their responce was, the customer did,nt complain so therefore they did'nt care that they just paid this company 5 or 6 thousand dollars to clean the residence. just recently i sent my information and pics to the insurance bureau of canada and they in turn handed right back to the people that i got nowhere with. my last resort may have to be the police unless u can steer me elsewhere. what i have explained to you here is a very small drop in the bucket as i have witnessed so much more.
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:39 am Post Subject:
i thought that i had done the right thing to protect myself and to hold the adjuster and my employer accountable by taking pics of afew of these jobs including a claim my former boss submitted for his residence where water seeped into his basement through the foundation. there was only a half of sheet of drywall replaced,as for contents he got all new carpet, new furnace and also anew big screen t.v. his old t.v.
For what it's worth, you did do the 'right thing'.......his old t.v. he received for nothing from another clients claim. myself and 2 other employees than delivered that old big screen to the adjusters house as there was nothing wrong with it then either.
WAIT A DAG-GUM MINUTE HERE! Are you saying that either the adjuster or your boss, KEPT 'salvage' (property that was paid for by an insurance carrier as damaged)? Is that what you are saying? If so (now I don't know much at about Canadian law, but they are pretty close to US)...this should've got them ALL FIRED.....The absolute quickest way for ANY adjuster to get fired is to fool around with salvage...(in all companies I know of, and that's a bunch let me tell ya').......Does state farm know about this too?crawford adjusters,
Just what I thought! this is an independent adjusting company, they operate in the US as well......I'm surprised State Farm let this go......really I am, (as far as going after Crawford and the restoration company)....
just recently i sent my information and pics to the insurance bureau of canada and they in turn handed right back to the people that i got nowhere with.
Well again I don't know about Canada, but in the US this is also what they would've done, BUT the insurance company would have to ''answer'' for it....You said that you were fired after twenty years, but you DID get a wrongfully dismissal settlement ? Is that right? What were their reasons for your dismisal? I would also advise filing complaints with a better business bureau type agency....Unfortunately since the customer is not ''wronged'' meaning they did get their homes repaired, doubt that you could get anywhere, it really (as I see it) the victim is the insurance carrier, and if they fail to do anything...well what are you to do? I would recommend somehow getting this information to the top brass of state farm..and I mean high in the claims dept, nothing local, you should fairly easily be able to find out the v.p. of claims in canada for state farm...or the SIU or internal affairs dept of state farm...for your country...i think that is your best bet.....how is it this company stays in business? No question that the adjuster for crawford is crooked...is there licensing for adjusters in Canada? Perhaps you could file something there, but again, (if i'm understanding) it is their word against yours right?
Whistle blowing is dangerous business (as you've found out)....but none the less I'd rather be unemployed than to have any part of this...I hope that you have found gainful employment else where....
If there are other carriers that this company (restoration) is ripping off I would let them know as well......
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 12:10 pm Post Subject:
i did get $20,000 for wrongful dismisal. my employer insisted that i quit but i took an out of court settlement as i did'nt have the money to fight further. i have to be careful as in the settlement agreement i am not to say anything about the restoration company,painting company or any agents ,adjusters etc. that they deal with. i would have much rather had the money to take this to a trial as then i believe somehow some investigations into this company and the adjusters may have occurred. it is my belief that insurance companies don't care because they just raise our premiums. they don't lose in the end. the consumer does,
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 01:20 pm Post Subject:
Well you some points, and some carriers may look at it that way ultimately. However, I 've seen carriers (the one I work for in particular) turn into pit bulls about this sort of thing...I've seen the company I work for spend 10's of thousands of dollars, in suit for much less in return...Which makes no good business sense, (and they don't always, more times than not they pay rather than fight), but does make and set a presitent, which I love ! Generally Ins companies take fraud pretty darn serious especially from a vendor....so again I think you just haven't talked to the 'right' person at State Farm...of course now you are barred from doing so per your prior post re: the conditions of your settlment huh?
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