Georgia Insurance Commissioner’s Office Recovers Over $100 Million for Consumers
Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King announced that his office has successfully recovered more than $100 million for consumers from insurance companies since 2019. In an interview with Channel 2 consumer investigator Justin Gray, King emphasized his office’s commitment to holding insurance companies accountable.
“File a complaint, we will investigate it. If they’ve broken the rules, we will hold them accountable,” King stated, highlighting the office’s proactive approach to consumer protection.
The impact of the Insurance Commissioner’s office is evident in cases like that of Jorge Diez, a Buckhead resident whose home was damaged when a tree crashed through his roof in February. Initially, his insurance company refused to cover temporary housing for Diez, his wife, and their 2-year-old daughter. However, after the Insurance Commissioner’s office intervened, the insurance company reversed its decision.
“It was like magic. It was like clockwork. What the insurance company should have been doing from the very beginning, they finally decided to do after they got a phone call,” Diez said, expressing his satisfaction with the outcome.
King revealed that his office handles between 10,000 and 11,000 complaints annually. Despite these achievements, King is seeking additional authority from the General Assembly to impose more substantial fines on non-compliant insurance companies. Currently, fines are limited to $5,000 per violation, which King believes is inadequate.
“$5,000 per offense for an insurance company is a drop in the bucket. I think it is woefully inadequate,” King said, arguing for higher penalties to effectively deter insurance companies from violating regulations.
