The Massachusetts Consumer Service Department responds to inquiries and assists consumers in resolving insurance complaints against insurers, producers and other licensees. Consumer Services also advises consumers of their options and rights under their policies, state laws and regulations. They maintain a database which has an inventory of all written complaints and inquiries received from the public.
When appropriate, information of a suspicious matter may be referred either to Special Investigation, Enforcement or Market Conduct units for further action. “Slow pay” patterns and other questionable industry trends, are brought to the attention of the Division’s Financial Surveillance staff, as these may be early indicators of liquidity or solvency problems.
Should policyholders wish to file a complaint with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Division of Insurance, you need to click on this link and then click on “File An Insurance Complaint” to start the process. You can file the Complaint online or by mail, but the website states that if you are represented by an attorney, you cannot file a Complaint form because “Consumer Service is not authorized to intervene between attorneys and their clients, nor do we perform work on behalf of attorneys. We are not authorized to render legal opinions.”
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation Division of Insurance: 617-521-7794
When filing out the Complaint Form, every insured needs to be aware that this is not confidential information and the complaint will be sent to every named party. In addition, if your complaint involves ongoing litigation, you cannot complete the form. The form, which is only two pages in length, asks very basic questions about your complaint but then gives a large text box at the bottom for you to explain the details of your complaint. You should write this out a few times and proofread it before sending because everything you write in the box will become public knowledge. If you have employed a public adjuster to handle the adjustment of your claim, I would suggest asking them for assistance in filling out the complaint form as they are knowledgeable about the claims handing process.
Merlin Law Group has attorneys licensed in Massachusetts should any issues arise.