California Insurance Guarantee Association
Americas
Insurance Company, in liquidation
Liquidation
Order: 6/23/2022
James J. Donelon, Commissioner of Insurance for the State of
Louisiana vs Americas Insurance Company.
Case No.C-714982 SEC: 23; 19th
Judicial District Court Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana
The
California Insurance Guarantee Association (CIGA) is diligently working with
the Liquidator's Office to obtain the open claims information it needs to
handle claims relating to policies issued to Americas Insurance Company policyholders. At
this point CIGA has very limited information on open claims and all claims'
records are with the insolvent insurer which is being
overseen by the receiver, Billy J. Bostick. The receiver will manage
the transfer of claims to CIGA. CIGA will then be able to respond to
inquiries and begin processing claims. We
anticipate being able to process claims beginning July 31, 2022.
Frequently asked questions:
What is
CIGA?
CIGA
is a statutory agency that handles the claims of insolvent member companies in
California. If your insurance company goes out of business and the statute
applies CIGA will handle any claims.
CIGA
is a non-profit association created by the legislature to pay certain
claims in the event that an insurance
company becomes insolvent. CIGA is not an insurance company, it does not issue
policies, collect premiums or otherwise
stand in the shoes of an insolvent insurance company. We exist solely to pay
covered claims when an insurer becomes insolvent.
When will CIGA receive my claim?
If your claim is on the books of Americas
Insurance Company as an open claim, CIGA anticipates receiving information
about it by July 31, 2022. Once that information is received, CIGA will be able
to respond to inquiries and process claims.
I have
legal bills from before the insolvency that were not paid.
Legal
expenses incurred prior to the liquidation date are not a covered item with
CIGA. They may be handled by the liquidator of the liquidated insurance
company. You may need to file a proof of claim (POC) with the
liquidator/estate.
We have
a default judgment against the insured, will you pay the judgment?
Once
CIGA receives your claim from the liquidator, you will be contacted by the
adjuster to discuss this issue. CIGA will take down your contact information
and questions so that someone can contact you upon receipt of the file. CIGA
does not pay default judgments, but this can often be cured. Your adjuster will
assist you once we have your file.
How
soon will I get a call back from an adjuster?
It
may take a few days or weeks to obtain a copy of the file from the liquidator
to be sent to us. Once your adjuster is assigned he
or she will contact you.
If
you have moved or changed phone numbers please
provide that information to us. CIGA's only source of receiving documents is
the address below. Mail received at this address will result in the item sent
to be imaged and electronically routed to the assigned adjuster.
California Insurance Guarantee
Association
PO Box 29066
Glendale, CA 91209
You may also fax claim
documents to CIGA at (818) 291-1863. Please include the CIGA claim
number and the documents faxed will be electronically routed to the
claim/adjuster. If you do not have the CIGA claim number, please include
the pre-fix 152-, followed by the Americas Insurance Company claim number (Example:
152-123456A).
What if
I have a new claim that I want to report?
If you already reported the claim you need
do nothing. We will have your claim information soon.
To
report a new claim you may contact the
Americas Receiver:
1.
Call (225) 201-0107 to report the loss
2. By
mail: Billy Bostick, Receiver
Americas Insurance Company
9543 Fenway Ave.
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
Has my policy been cancelled?
According to the June 23, 2022 liquidation
order, all policies of insurance issued by Americas Insurance Company in the
state of California are cancelled upon the earlier of:
(a)
The 30th day after the date of entry of the order (Cancelled July 23, 2022 at
12:01 a.m.)
(b) The date of expiration of
the policy coverage
(c) The date the insured has
replaced the policy or otherwise terminated the policy
Insureds are encouraged to work with your insurance broker to replace your insurance coverage immediately.