As Insurance Commissioner Murphy mentioned in his Tuesday speech to the Metro South Independent Agents Association (SMIIAA) and as the Division of Insurance made official yesterday, insurance claims resulting from the tornado earlier this month which struck Central and Western Massachusetts now total a whopping $140million.
“As people affected by the tornadoes continue to clean up and move toward filing claims and having repairs done, we expect these numbers to continue to grow,” said Insurance Commissioner Murphy. “Our staff remains available to help consumers file claims and we will continue to monitor the claims process to make sure claims are being handled and paid appropriately.”
Here are the figure the Division of Insurance has compiled from insurance carriers:
- A total of 8,200 claims have been filed totaling approximately $140,000,000.
- 4,200 homeowner’s claims have been filed totaling $120,000,000
- 200 commercial property claims have been filed with a price tag of $5,000,000
- 3,700 auto insurance claims have been filed totaling $15million
Agents should note that the Division of Insurance continues to provide staff at the assistance centers that Governor Patrick created to help those impacted by the storm. DOI representatives are there to give guidance to policyholders as they navigate through the claims process. Agents can also find other useful information in our June 9th article entitled Further Information Agents Can Provide Clients Affected by the Tornado.
In addition, agents can let their clients know that the Massachusetts Bar Association has announced that tornado victims can receive free legal advice via its DIAL-A-LAWYER program on June 22nd from 10-6p.m. The number is 413-782-1659. This program is being offered jointly by the Hampden County Bar Association, the Massachusetts Bar Association and Western New England School of Law. The legal advice will be provided free of charge as a public service to this affected region.
For more information contact the Massachusetts Bar Association or the Hampden County Bar Association.