Jun. 21--This month, the Missouri Department of Insurance gave the bum's rush to a Chicago auto insurance company accused of unfairly denying claims, offering low-ball settlements and taking its own sweet time about responding to complaints.

State insurance regulator banned the Universal Casualty Co. from writing new policies in Missouri.

So, how do you avoid falling into the clutches of such a company?

You can start by checking the "complaint index" published by the Insurance Department. The results for the biggest companies in the state accompany this story, and you can look up others at www.insurance.mo.gov. Click on the type of insurance (home, auto, etc.), and then choose the complaint index. You can also call 1-800-726-7390.

The index compares the number of complaints received from 2006 through 2008 with the amount of business the company does in Missouri. The average company gets an index score of 100. The lower the number, the better the record. Universal Casualty got an astounding score of 1,354.

The Illinois Insurance Department publishes its own list, using a ratio of complaints instead of an index. Again, the lower the number the better.

The Illinois report, which only covers 2007, can be found at www.idfpr.com/DOI/Complaints/ConsumerComplaints2007.pdf. You can also call 1-866-445-5364 (the toll-free number only works in Illinois).

These aren't perfect measures. For one thing, all complaints rank equally. "They won't cover my bunion removal" counts just as much as "They wouldn't pay for my heart transplant."

Missouri makes no effort to sort the valid complaints from weak ones in the index. "We feel that, if the individual was driven to the point that they had to file a complaint, then there was an issue," says Mary Kempker, director of consumer affairs at the Missouri department.

Despite those flaws, a company with a low complaint index is probably a better bet than a company with a high one. Complaint reports are a good consumer tool.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners does try to sort out good complaints from bad when comparing companies. Their complaint index is at https://eapps.naic.org/cis/.

Consumers may wonder whether it does any good to complain about an insurance company. In Missouri, it works 38 percent of the time. That's how often complaints to the Insurance Department are resolved in the consumer's favor -- most likely meaning that a claim is paid, or an policy reinstated.

The Missouri Insurance Department promises to investigate all gripes. It can force compliance in many cases, but its power is limited by law. For instance, it can't decide that an accident was someone else's fault when an insurance company says that you are to blame.

While you're checking out your insurance company, might as well see if it's solvent. You can get a financial stability rating from A.M. Best Co. at www.ambest.com, and Standard & Poors at www.standardandpoors.com. Click on ratings.

Complaint ratios count more in buying auto and homeowners policies, says Bob Hunter, director of insurance affairs at the Consumer Federation of America. Financial stability is more important in life and annuity policies, which are long-term commitments. Besides, it's hard for a company to wiggle out of a life insurance claim. "Dead is dead," says Hunter.

Of course, always shop for price. Prices vary widely for the same coverage. Use the Internet and the telephone to gather quotes.

"People often spend days shopping for the right car and minutes shopping for the right insurance," complains Illinois Insurance Director Michael McRaith.

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