Notice of Information Practices
You have certain rights under state and federal law with respect to the privacy of information we obtain about you when you engage in insurance transactions involving insurance primarily for personal, family or household use. You will receive, or already may have received, a notice entitled "Farmers® Privacy Notice." Your state gives you additional protections that are explained in this notice. Our information practices, as described in this notice, extend to applicants, policyholders and former policyholders.
Collection of Information
Much of the information we need comes from you when you apply for insurance. Sometimes, however, we may need additional information or may need to verify information you've given us. In those instances, we may contact you, your spouse or another adult member of your household either by phone or by mail.
In addition, we often employ the common insurance industry practice of asking an outside source, called a "consumer reporting agency" or "insurance support organization," to provide us with consumer reports. On occasion, that source may contact you, another adult member of your household or a neighbor, either by phone or in person to provide us with a report. As the Named Insured, you have the right to request that you or your spouse be contacted for a personal interview. If you choose this option, we will make every effort to comply with your request.
We may also obtain information from consumer reporting agencies and other sources for purposes other than underwriting, such as when processing claims, investigating potential fraud, or servicing your account. For example, we may obtain financial information relating to a particular bank account if you desire to set up an electronic funds transfer payment. In addition, we may obtain information relating to health and employment during the processing of a claim.
Types of Information Collected
In connection with the underwriting and/or servicing of policies covering your personal vehicles, we may obtain information, including information relating to the use of your vehicle(s), ages and drivers, mileage, items relating to the driver, such as, personal habits and characteristics, credit information, prior accidents and driving violations, prior arrests or convictions, claims history and previous insurance experience.
In connection with the underwriting and/or servicing of policies covering your real and personal property, we may obtain information, including information relating to construction type, square footage, heating, other physical characteristics of the property, care and maintenance of the property, the personal habits and characteristics of the property's occupants, credit information, claims history and previous insurance experience.
What We do with Information We Collect About You
We use the information we collect about you to perform insurance functions, including underwriting and servicing your policy, processing claims and for other purposes permitted by state and federal law. For example, we may disclose this information, as permitted by law, and without your prior authorization to:
- Your Agent, who may need the information to service your policy.
- Persons who need this information to perform normal business functions for us.
- Persons conducting actuarial or research studies on our behalf.
- Another insurance company or an insurance support organization, to detect or prevent criminal activity or fraud in connection with an insurance transaction or to perform an insurance transaction.
- A medical professional or medical care institution, to verify insurance coverage or benefits or to inform or to inform an individual of a medical problem of which the individual may not be aware.
- An insurance regulatory authority.
- Law enforcement or other governmental authority.
- A group policyholder to report claims experience or conduct an audit of our operations, but only as necessary to conduct the review or audit.
- Affiliates, as permitted by law.
- Persons that perform marketing services on our behalf, as permitted by law.
- Other non-affiliated third parties, as permitted by law.
- A party to a proposed or consummated sale, transfer ,merger or consolidation of all or part of the company underwriting your policy.
Information obtained from a report prepared by an insurance-support organization may be retained by that organization and disclosed to other persons who use these reports, but only to the extent permitted by federal and state law.
Access to and Correction of Personal Information
You have the right to know the contents of any recorded personal information about you that is in our records, including any investigative consumer report we have obtained. You also have the right to receive a copy of this information and to request that we correct, amend or delete any of the information that you feel is in error. To exercise these rights, you must send us a written request. If you request correction, amendment or deletion of any erroneous information, we will review the recorded personal information and your written request. If the requested changes are in order, we will make the appropriate changes in our records. If we cannot make the change, you then have the option of filing a statement of the reasons why you disagree with our decision, which will be included in our policy records so anyone reviewing the disputed personal information will have access to it. Any future disclosure made by us, if any, will also include your filed statement. We will also provide a copy to anyone designated by you who may have received recorded personal information from us in the past two years. In any case, whether we can or cannot comply with your request to correct recorded personal information, we will advise you of our decision in writing.
These rights do not extend to information collected in connection with or in reasonable anticipation of a claim, or civil or criminal proceeding, or to specific items of privileged information when an applicant or policyholder is suspected of fraud, material misrepresentation or material non-disclosure.
You may contact your Agent for the appropriate service center address where you can direct your written inquiry.
Keeping You Informed
As required by law, we will notify you of our information practices regularly. We reserve the right to modify our practices at any time, when permitted by law.
If, after reading this, you have any further questions, please feel free to contact your Agent.
This notice is sent on behalf of the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies, whose members include, but are not limited to:
Farmers Insurance Exchange, Fire Insurance Exchange, Truck Insurance Exchange, Mid-Century Insurance Company, Farmers New Century Insurance Company, Farmers Insurance Company, Inc. (A Kansas Corp.), Farmers Insurance Company of Arizona, Farmers Insurance Company of Idaho, Farmers Insurance Company of Oregon, Farmers Insurance Company of Washington, Farmers Insurance of Columbus, Inc., Farmers Texas County Mutual Insurance Company, Illinois Farmers Insurance Company, Mid-Century Insurance Company of Texas, Texas Farmers Insurance Company, Civic Property and Casualty Company, Exact Property and Casualty Company, and Neighborhood Spirit Property and Casualty Company.