MetLife Auto & Home Offers Claim Assistance in Washington, Utah, and California

    WARWICK, R.I., Feb. 28 Personal lines customers of MetLife
Auto & Home, the Economy Companies, USF&G, and The St. Paul with earthquake
insurance who have sustained damage from the recent earthquake that hit the
Pacific Northwest can receive immediate assistance by calling a 24-hour claims
hotline. Former St. Paul customers (including Economy and USF&G customers)
should call 1-800-859-1963, while MetLife Auto & Home customers should call 1-
800-854-6011.  In either case, all customers can also call their local agents
for assistance.
    ( Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20001012/METLOGO )
    "MetLife Auto & Home's specially trained staff is working around the clock
to help get our customers' autos and homes repaired," said Chris Cawley,
MetLife Auto & Home's chief claim officer and senior vice-president of
customer service. "Our caring associates will help secure shelter if
necessary, guide customers through temporary repairs, issue checks for
immediate expenses and promptly compensate customers for covered damage to
property."
    A powerful earthquake registering 6.2 on the Richter scale rocked the
Puget Sound area, approximately 30 miles south of Seattle. The quake was felt
in Portland, Oregon and as far away as Salt Lake City, which is located 700
miles from the earthquake's epicenter. An earthquake with a magnitude of six
can cause severe damage, while one with a magnitude of seven can cause
widespread, heavy damage.
    MetLife Auto & Home advises customers to heed the safety warnings of local
officials and take precautions to protect themselves and their property. It is
important to be cautious of hazards that may make it unsafe to enter the home,
such as downed power lines and broken glass.  If unable to enter, customers
should seek shelter elsewhere and re-enter the home only when it is safe to do
so.
    When it is safe to enter, covering exposed portions of property with
heavy-duty tarps and boarding-up any broken windows can help protect the
premises from additional exposure to the elements and minimize the possibility
of additional property damage. In addition, customers are encouraged to save
receipts for temporary repairs, begin to make inventory lists of damaged
property, and jot down any issues or concerns they have so that the adjusters
can get their claims processed as soon as possible.
    MetLife Auto & Home offers a free brochure for those who may be living in
an earthquake prone area called "Preparing for Earthquakes."  The brochure,
part of MetLife's Life Advice program, is designed to help people develop
disaster plans (call 1-800-MET-LIFE, 638-5433).

    Note to editors: An affiliate of MetLife, Inc. , MetLife Auto &
Home is one of the nation's leading personal lines property and casualty
companies with over 2.5 million policies in force.  To secure more information
about these programs, or about the wide variety of insurance products MetLife
Auto & Home provides, contact your local MetLife Auto & Home provider or
authorized Independent Agent; visit MetLife's Web site at
http://www.metlife.com; or call 1-800-422-4272.

    MetLife Auto & Home is a brand of Metropolitan Property and Casualty
Insurance Company and its affiliates, Warwick, RI.

     Contact:
     Ted Mitchell (401) 827-3236        Anne Lipsitz (401) 827-2021
     tjmitchell@metlife.com             alipsitz@metlife.com