Archive for September, 2011

The Turner Agency has gone pink as we honor and remember our clients and customers who have fought the battle of breast cancer.

Our lobby is filled with valuable information on how to sign up for the Race for the Cure, breast cancer prevention, and more.  We have pink lemonade and pink cookies for our customers.  On Wednesday, we will have a Pink O de Mayo Day where all employees will be dressed in pink.  Lunch is being catered by Caesars and donations are being accepted for Susan G. Komen.

Stop by and add a name to the sign in our lobby of those who we are honoring.  And make sure to sign up for the race on Saturday, September 24.

Click below for other ways to get involved:

Sign up to Race, Tailgate, or Sleep in for the Cure!

Vote for your favorite team T-shirt!

Vote for The Turner Agency as the best Passionately Pink office!

Make a donation!

75 convictions secured; total complaints amounted to nearly $14.5 million

By Ross Turner

The SC Attorney General’s office released a report last month analyzing last year’s insurance fraud cases. The report showed that a total of 75 convictions were made in 2010, and defendants were ordered to pay $316, 270 in restitution in both civil and criminal cases.  State Attorney General Alan Wilson’s office received 596 complaints of insurance fraud last year and carried over 213 cases from 2009.

Several years ago, we reported a fraud case after receiving a call from a large general contractor.  We had worked with this contractor many times before because they sub- contract several of our clients on an ongoing basis.   The insurance manager of the general contractor had received a certificate of insurance from a roofer they were using on a job. 

The certificate listed The Turner Agency as providing all the insurance coverage through a standard company, but the insurance manager didn’t think the certificate looked right.  She called us to verify the coverage and sure enough-  we confirmed that it was a forged certificate.  The roofer had taken a certificate we issued in that past and put their name in the insured section.

We immediately put together a report and notified both the company that was on the certificate and the South Carolina Insurance Fraud department.  Within two days, SLED was knocking on the roofer’s door. 

Another roofer we know who pays his worker’s compensation and general liability for one crew knows that this fraud was worth about $ 40,000 – a white collar crime.

The state is doing a great job investigating and prosecuting insurance fraud with the limited funding they have.  The Insurance Fraud Division of the SC Attorney General’s office has four attorneys working to defeat insurance fraud in our state.

The state is also working in conjunction with the companies whose investigative units appear to be as aggressive as ever in tracking down fraud.  Here are more highlights from the report: 

• 2010 cases amounted to nearly $14.5 million in fraud, more than double the dollar amount reported in 2009.
• The largest amount, $11.9 million, was related to auto insurance fraud. The next largest amount, $1.3 million, was related to health and medical insurance fraud.
• Richland County had the largest number of complaints made, while Lexington County had the largest dollar value reported.
• Horry County had two complaints of premium fraud, reported at $181,660.
• Breakdown by region:
  • Midlands: 27% (60 cases)
  • Lowcountry: 25% (55 cases)
  • Piedmont: 24% (52 cases)
  • Pee Dee: 24% (53 cases)

623 Halton Road, Greenville SC  29607

www.turneragencyinc.com

864-288-9513 

Good news for our commercial customers with insurance through the Hartford!  The Hartford has released a commercial auto app for all iPhones.

The Hartford | Mobile for Business lets you:

• Request Auto ID Cards for insured vehicles
• Request Certificates of Insurance 
• Click to Call for express access to our Business Service and Claims Centers
• Access our auto accident checklist 

For more information, go to www.thehartford.com/mobile

623 Halton Road, Greenville SC  29607

www.turneragencyinc.com

Independent insurance agents like The Turner Agency not only advise clients about insurance, but they’re disaster readiness consultants. We recommend meeting with a Trusted Choice® independent insurance agent who can consult with you in assessing your risks and ensuring that you, your family and your home are prepared in the event of a disaster.
 

623 Halton Road, Greenville SC  29607

www.turneragencyinc.com

by Ross Turner

Every day, we are exposed to risk.  Our daily activities result in lawsuit exposures, and unfortunately you no longer have to be a millionaire to be sued like one.

 Umbrella liability insurance “sits over” your primary insurance, providing you a higher level of coverage above your automobile, homeowner’s, boat, and recreational vehicle policies. Umbrella policies can give you higher limits, broader coverage, and worldwide liability coverage.

Your family and your daily activities result in lawsuit exposures every day, and unfortunately the frequency and cost of lawsuits have increased dramatically over the last ten years. Some reasons to consider the purchase of an umbrella policy include:

You serve on a board of directors or participate in volunteer activities

 You have teenaged drivers or drive a carpool You own rental property or vacation property

You have jet-skis, a golf cart, or other recreational vehicles

You have a swimming pool in your backyard

You are financially responsible for your children

You have a small business in your home and see clients on occasion

Consider these real-life examples where lawsuits were filed and judgments awarded:

•  A talented softball player filed a $700,000 lawsuit against her former coach, alleging the coach’s “incorrect teaching style” ruined her chances for an athletic scholarship.
• A student hated math class and her teacher. She made negative comments about the teacher online. The teacher found out, sued the parents, and was awarded $750,000.
• A homeowner was burning a candle in her bathroom. As her niece washed her hands, her sleeve passed over the candle and ignited. She suffered third degree burns. The homeowner was held liable and had to pay out $917,000.
• A one car accident occurred when a 17 year old driver ran off the road with three friends in the car. Damages awarded were over $ 1,500,000.

Think about the value of your assets.  If your home, automobiles, investments, and potential future earnings are worth $400,000 and your automobile liability insurance limit is only $250,000, then you are left with $150,000 of uninsured assets.

Contact our Personal Lines department to see how easy it is put an umbrella policy in place. One million dollars of liability coverage is much more affordable than you think, and it small price to pay for peace of mind.

623 Halton Road

Greenville, SC  29607

864-288-9513

www.turneragencyinc.com

The Turner Agency Inc. will be closed on Monday, September 5, in observance of the Labor Day Holiday.  We will reopen on Tuesday, September 6 at 8:30 a.m.