So you’ve been in an accident recently, and now you have a claim open with State Farm. You’re not alone. State Farm is one of the largest insurance companies in the country, and across their broad selection of insurance types (home owners, automotive, fire, etc.), they cover somewhere around 78 million policies. Millions of people file auto accident claims with State Farm each day. If you hope to win your case, wouldn’t it help to know what to expect when dealing with them?
Don’t Assume They’re on Your Side
First off, recognize that every insurance adjustor is different. They act and behave differently, simply because they are different people. Whereas one adjustor might be eager to offer you a settlement just to avoid going to court, another might refuse the possibility of a settlement outright, on the assumption that you, like many, won’t bother to go through the effort of taking them to court. That said, there are still a few rules that remain consistent no matter who you end up dealing with.
Be sure to question any settlement offers you receive, especially if a settlement is readily offered by the adjustor. All too often, insurance companies try to get injured parties to accept settlements that they know are low, because many of the costs associated with being in an accident don’t come up until later. The party might accept the settlement at first thinking they’re getting a good deal, only to find out later that it didn’t come close to covering their medical bills, lost wages, and other damages.
Stick With It until the Court Date
There also seems to be a tendency for State Farm to offer increasingly large settlements the closer you come to the court date. In most cases, these offers are still lower than what you could win in court with the assistance of a lawyer so you might well want to resist them still, as hard as it might be.
The good news is that once you have State Farm in court, they’re not bad about honoring the court’s wishes. Sometimes, injured parties even received a check written the same day as the verdict is rendered. At other times, they’ve been known to willingly pay court-ordered damages in excess of the original policy limits.
Always Listen to Your Attorney
Whatever the case, you should always let a qualified attorney advise you in your auto accident claims. While State Farm might not be the most difficult company to contend you, you’ll still be a lot better off being represented by a professional.
