Complaint Review: Gallagher Bassett Services

Gallagher Bassett Services, Inc. is the insurance company for Rock Bottom Brewery; my husband and I had dinner there on the night of July 27, 2007 and suffered horrible food poisoning as a result.

After our weekend in misery we saw our doctor who determined that we were infact suffering from Acute Bacterial Gastroenteritis -- more commonly known as food poisoning. He put us on Cipro antibiotic and told us to return if we were not better in a week. Our doctor did not request lab work as we were severely dehydrated; he knew our condition would improve with the Cipro.

As a service to the restaurant and to the general public I decided to contact the Phoenix location where we had eaten. I was told to call the corporate headquarters in Colorado, which I did. I spoke with a gentleman who seemed genuinely concerned about us; he told me someone fron Gallagher Bassett Services, Inc. would be contacting me within a day or so.

After waiting for a week I googled the insurance company and contacted them directly, so I could expedite some sort of resolution. After providing the claims agent with all of the graphic details of our illness I obtained the doctor's notes from our visit and mailed them and several other requested documents to the representative. Again , I waited -- this time for several weeks.

I called the company and found out someone else had been assigned our claim and was told by the new person that I would be contacted with an estimated time of resolution within 7 business days. This did not happen.

I started calling every day and each time was told "I'm about to go into a conference call. I'll call you back" When I called the company yesterday morning -- after 2 months of being jerked around -- I was told that our claim had been denied due to lack of sufficient evidence. After all, "the chipotle chicken quesadilla wasn't the only thing you ate that day".

No settlement, no damages and no apology after 2 months of getting the run around. My husband and I were the victims of a restaurant's unsanitary conditions and their insurance company's failure to do the right thing. There is a case pending with the health department; both the restaurant and the insurance company know we are gravely disappointed. Neither party has offered any sort of compensation or apology.

Steel magnolia
Phoenix, Arizona
U.S.A.