The North Carolina Department of Insurance has set up a series of temporary insurance assistance centers in areas hardest hit by Hurricane Irene. The centers are designed to help customers who believe they are not being treated fairly by insurance companies.
Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin decided to open the centers after his office fielded a steady stream of complaints from customers in coastal counties.
Goodwin says many complaints have centered on non-existent or non-communicative insurance adjusters.
Wayne Goodwin: "Given the types of calls that I’m getting this is a pervasive problem. I’m reluctant to say a number, but I know that its significant enough. You’re talking multiple tens of thousands of claims even if it’s just a percentage of those, that’ still a terrific number that’s unacceptable."
The centers will allow customers with complaints to meet in person with representatives from the Department of Insurance and the National Flood Insurance Program. The centers open next week in Manteo, New Bern, and Hatteras Island.