Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) says that nearly a year after Hurricane Katrina struck, he’s disappointed with the slow pace with which hundreds of insurance lawsuits are being handled. Included among the lawsuits is one Lott has filed. Lott’s beachside home was destroyed by Katrina last August 29, and he sued State Farm in a claims dispute. 

Speaking in his hometown of Pascagoula last week, Lott said the slow pace could be hindering reconstruction efforts across the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The former Senate Majority Leader also said he was shocked that insurance companies aren’t covered by federal antitrust laws, saying that means they can “actually collude” with each other when handling claims. “That has caused me a great deal of concern. I think we need to take a look at that,” Lott said.

Sen. Lott said before he was first elected to the U.S. House in 1972, he was a defense attorney for insurance companies, including State Farm, adding that the company’s assertion that his house had no wind damage in Katrina is “not credible” and that he is “infuriated” about the way the company is handling his claim. “The same company, State Farm, had paid me twice since 1984 for wind damage from hurricanes half the velocity of this one,” he said.

Sen. Lott Sounds Off Over Katrina Claims, Insurers’ Antitrust Status

August 22, 2006