If you pick the wrong insurance company, you increase the likelihood that you’ll end up fighting them if you ever need to make a claim. Similarly, if you cause an accident and hurt someone, having the wrong insurance company could increase the likelihood that you end up being sued.
Too many people end up with these problems because they didn’t do their homework up front. There are a number of things you can do to help you avoid these mistakes.
1. Check out the Texas Department of Insurance website (www.tdi.texas.gov). The website contains reports showing the number of verified complaints and the number of policies written by each insurance company.
2. Talk to friends who have had problems with insurance companies. Most people haven’t made claims on their policies. When talking around, you want to make sure and talk to friends who have actually been involved in claims — both those who have made claims against insurance companies and those who have been on the receiving end of claims. Ask about their experiences, the types of trouble they might have had, the length of time before the issue was resolved, and whether they would buy that insurance company.
3. Use the internet. Internet research is your friend when investigating insurance companies.
