NU Online News Service, Feb. 12, 12:11 p.m. EST

The Louisiana Department of Insurance said acting on complaints it recovered $8.2 million for consumers last year in insurer payments for claims, with over $5 million coming from the Office of Property and Casualty.

Recoveries, the department said, resulted from insurance claims disputes in which it was able to work with insurance companies and consumers to secure monies above what the insurance companies originally offered the consumers to settle their claims.

Consumers filed 2,236 complaints with the Office of Property and Casualty, more than the Office of health (1,601), Division of Life and Annuities (454), and Office of Consumer Advocacy (56).

Consumer inquiries for property and casualty totaled 2,707, more than all other departments except life and annuities, which totaled 12,581.

The $5.4 million in property and casualty funds recovered totaled more than the other departments combined.

Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon said, "Our staff works diligently to see that Louisiana's insurance consumers are being treated fairly by the insurance companies they pay to protect them and their property. We are serious about our role as consumer watchdog. I'm proud that we were able to recover so much money in insurance payments for our citizens."