LOS ANGELES (CN) - Farmers Insurance cheats Spanish-speaking homeowners by withholding benefits and refusing to translate contracts, a married couple claims in a class action in Superior Court. "Though almost every other consumer contract in the state of California requires that the party receive the contract in their native language, the sole protection of a consumer's largest asset, their home, has successfully evaded the same requirements," the complaint states.
Celso and Angelica Soto say Farmers advertised its homeowner's insurance policies on a Spanish language Web site that lists a phone number for a purported Spanish-language help line.
But the Sotos say that when their kitchen plumbing burst, causing $10,000 in water damage, Farmers refused to provide a Spanish translation of its decision to reimburse only $1,695 of the damage.
The Sotos say they had to ask their young daughter to translate, since Farmers refused their requests for a translator.
Farmers revised its damage estimate after the Sotos hired a lawyer, raising it from $2,600 to $6,800, the complaint states. They say Farmers paid the $6,800, but refused to acknowledge the additional $3,200 in damage.
They claim Farmers discriminated against them and cheated them.
The Sotos are represented by Richard Quintilone and Dayna Carter with Quintilone & Associates.
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