Latest news with #LouisianaDepartmentofInsurance
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Three arrests made in $10 million staged crash scheme
LAFAYETTE, La. () — An investigation into a multi-million-dollar suspected staged crash scheme has led to the arrest of three men. On March 25, officials with the Louisiana State Police Insurance Fraud and Auto Theft Unit Breaux Bridge Field Office, launched an investigation that led to the arrests of Justin Ledet, 45, of Rayne, Steven Thomas, 38, of Lafayette and Alfred Onezine, 37, of Breaux Bridge. The investigation began after authorities received a criminal complaint from the Louisiana Department of Insurance, following a report from a trucking company which suspected fraudulent activity related to a crash that occurred on January 19, in Lafayette Parish. Officials determined that Ledet, Thomas and Onezine conspired to stage a crash at the intersection of Willow Street and Teurlings Drive. They said Ledet, while operating the company's truck, intentionally struck the rear of a Chevrolet Silverado driven by Thomas, who was accompanied by Onezine and three juvenile passengers. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Officials said following the crash, all five occupants of the Silverado filed insurance claims against the trucking company, seeking a combined potential fraud amount of approximately $10 million in damages. On May 2, officials arrested Ledet and Thomas for automobile insurance fraud. Both were processed into a Lafayette Parish jail without incident. On May 29, authorities arrested Onezine on a warrant for three counts of cruelty to juveniles and four counts of automobile insurance fraud. Officials said during the arrest, Onezine resisted police and was additionally charged with resisting an officer. He was processed into a St. Martin Parish jail without further incident. This investigation remains ongoing. Blake Lively withdraws claims of emotional distress against Justin Baldoni Judge orders federal prisons to continue gender-affirming care for transgender inmates Lafayette organ transplant recipient advocates on Capitol Hill Three arrests made in $10 million staged crash scheme Amtrak train hits vehicle in Lafayette Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Liberty Mutual customers in Louisiana will get homeowner's insurance refund
The damaged remains of a home in Bayou Dularge on Sept. 12, 2024, one day after Hurricane Francine made landfall in Terrebonne Parish. (Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator) Some 138,000 Louisiana customers of Liberty Mutual can expect a small refund on their homeowner's insurance after the company overcharged them for the past four years, according to the state insurance department. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple said the policyholders were billed too much for an assessment that every homeowner pays to fund the Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp., which covers property owners who cannot get policies on the private market. The overcharges total approximately $4 million. The error occurred because Liberty Mutual has failed to make annual adjustments to the assessment since 2021, when it charged policyholders 2.49% of their premium to support Louisiana Citizens. The surcharge should have decreased every year, bringing the rate to 1.36% for this year, Deputy Insurance Commissioner John Ford said. The mistake came to light in February when the Louisiana Department of Insurance said it received a consumer complaint about the Louisiana Citizens assessment charged on their Liberty Mutual renewal notice. Temple said the company has acknowledged its error, and his agency will monitor repayments to ensure customers are refunded. 'We regret the error, and we are working closely with the Louisiana Department of Insurance on a plan to refund impacted customers as quickly as possible,' a Liberty Mutual spokesperson said in an email to the Illuminator. The amount of refunds will depend on the customer's total premium and the difference between 2.49% and what they should have been assessed on their bills. For example, a customer paying a $4,000 homeowner's insurance premium paid a $100 Citizens assessment last year based on the 2.49% rate, when they should have been charged $68 for a 1.7% rate. Their refund for 2024 would be $32. The correct assessment rates for 2022 and 2023 were 2.4% and 2.1%, respectively. The insurance department is determining whether any regulatory action against Liberty Mutual is warranted and whether any other insurers have made a similar mistake, though its news release said the overcharge appears to be an isolated incident. The Louisiana Citizens assessment has been placed on homeowners insurance bills since 2005 to help the state pay off borrowing to cover damage claims that followed hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The assessment rate has been gradually lowered over the years and will end entirely next month. Liberty Mutual will adjust its assessment charge to 0% effective April 1, according to the insurance department. State officials are directing policyholders with questions to contact the company or their agent. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Louisiana opens registration for new round of fortified roof grants
Blue tarps cover roofs in Larose in October 2021, six weeks after Hurricane Ida. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple wants to make a state roof fortification grant program available to more low- and moderate-income homeowners. (Wes Muller/Louiisiana Illuminator) Registration for Louisiana's fortified roof grant program opened Wednesday for its first lottery round of 2025. The Louisiana Fortify Homes Program, which offers up to $10,000 to homeowners who install hurricane-resistant roofs on their houses, is now in its third calendar year. The registration period will close at 5 p.m. on Sunday (Feb. 16), at which point the Louisiana Department of Insurance will randomly select 1,000 grant recipients. This round of grants is limited to residents of Louisiana's coastal zone and the cities of Lake Charles, Sulphur and Westlake. Homeowners can find out if they live in the zone by entering their address into the search field of the state's online coastal zone map. Homes within the blue-shaded area of the map are eligible. Homeowners are required to create a profile on the program's website before registering for the lottery. Homeowners who registered during a previous round but were not selected must register again if they want to participate in the current round. People who register on the last day of the registration period have the same chance of being selected as those who register on the first day, so there is no need to rush to register, according to a Department of Insurance news release. Louisiana's fortified roof grant program carries over millions in unspent funds The Fortify Homes Program has so far awarded about 1,800 grants since its first round of funding in October 2023, Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple said. The program awards grants of up to $10,000, so homeowners need to cover any costs that exceed that amount. They also might need to pay for some of the work upfront because the state issues grant checks to contractors only after they complete the job. A fortified roof, one that meets the standards of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, are built with improved materials and techniques that can stop leaks and withstand winds of up to 150 mph, lowering the risk of storm damage and typically leading to lower homeowner insurance rates. To qualify for a fortified roof grant, Louisiana homeowners have to get a state-approved evaluator to inspect their home. They must then obtain bids from at least three insurance department-approved contractors who can do the work. The department's website lists approved evaluators and contractors. The program has a number of other eligibility requirements that can be found at SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
