Allstate files state Supreme Court appeal

May 22, 2008

St. Petersburg Times--May 21, 2008

By Tom Zucco, Times Staff Writer

The ban on selling new insurance policies has been lifted and Allstate has promised to cooperate with state regulators. But that didn’t stop the company on Tuesday from filing an appeal with the Florida Supreme Court.

The insurance giant wants to "clarify some legal issues," said Allstate spokesman Adam Shores.

Regulators last week won the legal right to suspend Allstate from selling new policies until the company turned over documents the state says are key to an investigation into the company’s rate-setting process. But the suspension was lifted two days later after Allstate certified that all the documents were delivered.

"This does not affect the current status of the (state’s) investigation or any related matters that are ongoing," said Office of Insurance Regulation spokesman Tom Zutell, "and OIR will oppose any further court review."