Amica Mutual Insurance Company

If you are looking for an insurance company who is large enough to be financially stable but also has strong ratings in customer service, Amica Mutual Insurance Company may be the company you are looking for. It is one of the oldest auto insurance companies in America. As a mutual insurance company, Amica is owned by the policyholders. It was founded in 1907 by A. T. Vigneron. He based the company on the notion of writing insurance policies for preferred risks and offering lower auto insurance rates . Back in the days of the early 1900’s car insurance became extremely important to automobile owners because of the danger of exploding gas tanks.

As the company became more successful it added additional insurance lines: homeowners’ insurance was added in 1956, personal liability insurance in 1970 and life insurance in 1973. The headquarters are located in Lincoln, RI. The focus of the company’s insurance products is its auto, homeowners, marine and personal excess liability policies.

Key people in the organization include Robert A. DiMuccio, President and CEO; James Loring, CFO; and Vince Burks, SVP Corporate Communications. Amica boasts assets of over $4 billion with over one million policies in force. Its subsidiaries include Amica Life Insurance Company, Amica General Insurance Agency of CA, Inc., Amica Lloyd’s of Texas, Inc., Amica Property and Casualty Insurance Company and Amica General Agency, Inc. The company’s mission statement relays its focus on customer service stating that the “customers always come first.” Amica is unique in the insurance industry for being one of the few large companies that still ranks high in the area of customer service.

Amica does not sell insurance products using direct insurance agents . Rather, customers may call, email or visit a local office to buy a policy. You won’t be dealing with a middle-man if you buy an insurance policy from Amica, you will be dealing with the insurance company directly. The company has 40 local offices and employs over 3,000. The company has worked to integrate the latest technology into its claims management and billing systems which will allows greater efficiency in servicing its customers.

Financial Strength Ratings and Company Awards

Amica Mutual Insurance Company has a stellar reputation by such insurance rating organizations as A.M. Best and J.D. Powers & Associates. The company’s main strong point seems to be in the area of customer service, receiving high rankings year after year. In fact, J.D. Powers & Associates ranked this company highest in customer satisfaction for 11 years straight. A.M. Best gives the company the ranking of “A++” Superior. The company was also listed in the Ward’s Top 50 list for the years of 2006 and 2008-2012. It is also a BBB accredited company with a rating of “A+.” Insure.com awarded Amica with its People’s Choice Award in 2012.

Pros

• Highly-rated by A.M. Best, J.D. Powers & Associates and other insurance rating organizations
• Consistently receives customer service awards year after year
• Customer praise in the areas of customer service and the speed in paying claims
• Variety of customer payment options available

Cons

• Some customer complaints about the handling of claims
• Reports of increases in premium without explanation
• Few local offices or agents to service customers