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Chicago Geico Auto Claims & Settlement Lawyer
Dealing with the GEICO adjuster can be incredibly frustrating if you've been in a car accident because the insurer is notorious for denying more than 50% of all legitimate car accident claims.
Dealing with a GEICO adjuster doesn't have to be difficult. With the help of experienced car accident lawyers, you can get the fair and just settlement you deserve.
Contact our personal injury attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, today without cost to you to discuss filing and settling your GEICO auto accident claim. Let our team of dedicated Chicago car accident lawyers handle resolving your car accident claim by negotiating a settlement with a GEICO adjuster or taking your personal injury lawsuit to trial.
Hiring a personal injury attorney can help you avoid accepting a "low ball" offer from the insurance carrier's experienced agents or insurance adjuster working to minimize coverage in the auto policy. Contact us toll-free at (888) 424-5757 for a free consultation
Statistics of GEICO Denying Accident Claims Over the Years
- In 2018, GEICO denied 21.8% of bodily injury claims of car accident victims, which is a higher denial rate than the industry average of 20.5%.
- In 2017, GEICO had a denial rate of 22.1% of car accidents, which was again higher than the industry average of 20.9%.
- In 2016, GEICO's denial rate to car accident victims was 23.3%, significantly higher than the industry average of 21.1%.
Over the past few years, GEICO has had a higher than average denial rate for bodily injury claims.
GEICO has a history of denying more injury claims than many insurance companies.
GEICO's History: An Insurance Industry Giant From Humble Roots
GEICO is the second-largest car insurance company in the United States, offering coverage for more than sixteen million cars, trucks, motorcycles, and commercial vehicles. GEICO is a private corporation and is the fastest-growing insurance carrier in America. The company provides private passenger vehicle insurance in every state nationwide.
The Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO) was founded in 1936 to provide GEICO-insured automobile insurance coverage to federal government employees and family members. Berkshire Hathaway acquired GEICO with headquarters in Chevy Chase, Maryland, six decades later.
The company provides various insurance options, emergency road service, accident forgiveness, online claims submittals, and in-house ARX (auto repair express) programs.
GEICO has been rated as the fastest-growing insurance company in America.
What to Expect When Dealing With a GEICO Claim Adjuster
When dealing with a GEICO car accident claim adjuster, it's important to know what to expect. Here are some tips:
- The first thing you need to do is call your insurance agent and report the accident.
- Be sure to get the name, address, and phone number of the other driver or party involved in the accident.
- Get the names and contact information of any witnesses to the accident.
- Take photographs of the damage to both vehicles involved in the accident.
- Go to your doctor and get a complete medical examination. Be sure to keep all of your medical bills and records.
- Keep track of all expenses related to the accident, including car repairs, rental cars, towing, and medical bills.
- Hire an experienced accident lawyer to help you deal with the GEICO insurance claims.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the GEICO claim adjuster.
- Do not sign any documents during the GEICO car accident settlement without consulting with your lawyer.
- Be polite and professional when dealing with the GEICO insurance adjuster.
Several experienced personal injury lawyers can help you deal with the GEICO insurance adjuster, and you can get the fair and just settlement you deserve. Your family will be more assured with an attorney that GEICO pays the amount needed to heal.
Filing a Claim
A car accident attorney working on your behalf can determine the value of your car insurance claim before reaching a fair settlement offer or taking the case to trial. Your experienced car accident lawyer will evaluate your case’s value.
The cost from your medical providers will determine the extent of your medical treatment and the amount of money you will need to get your life back on track (including future medical expenses).
Our attorneys currently represent clients throughout the United States, Illinois, and in the following localities: Cook County, DuPage County, Kane County, Lake County, Will County, Aurora, Chicago, Elgin, Naperville, and Schaumburg. Contact our firm for a free consultation.
How Does GEICO Pay Claims?
GEICO adjusters often quickly evaluate and settle insurance claims so that the automobile accident victim does not have time to realize that what they accepted was too low to cover their needs and future medical bills.
GEICO has a three-level property damage claim process.
- Speaking with a GEICO insurance adjuster.
- Getting a damage appraisal from the appraiser.
- Dealing with the insurance umpire.
The GEICO Insurance Adjuster
The GEICO car accident adjuster's role as an individual body is to investigate and evaluate your claim and then decide how much your vehicle is worth. If possible, they will also be responsible for negotiating a settlement with you.
Typically, the adjuster will ask about your health, wellbeing, and family. The adjuster does not tell you that your best interest is not his priority. His priority is to limit GEICO's liability for your accident claim.
His job is to save the company money by denying your personal injury claim or undervaluing your claim. The insurance adjuster needs to get as much information from you as possible to do his job.
The Appraiser
If you and the adjuster cannot agree on the value of your vehicle with the insurance adjuster your claim will be sent to an appraiser.
The appraiser is known as the individual that works for an independent company the driver’s insurance company hires to estimate the value of your vehicle. An appraiser is a person who is neutral and has no stake in the outcome of your insurance claim.
The appraiser will inspect your vehicle and give you a report with their estimate of the repairs needed and the value of your vehicle.
If you do not agree with the estimate, you can ask for a second opinion from another appraiser.
The Insurance Umpire
If you and the appraiser cannot agree, your accident claim will be sent to an umpire.
The umpire is also a neutral party who will review the evidence and decide the value of your vehicle. Once the umpire makes a decision, it is binding on you and GEICO.
It means that you cannot go to court to get a different decision. Once you accept, you cannot later demand more money by the time you learn the actual value of your personal injury claim.
If you go through the GEICO accident claim process, you should be ready to accept anything the umpire decides as the final value of your vehicle.
Filing a GEICO Auto Insurance Claim for a Personal Injury
Filing a claim against GEICO to receive a settlement offer is rarely a simple process. Communication can happen online on the company's website, through a mobile app, over the phone, or by corresponding at the following address:
- GEICO
- PO Box 9105
- Macon, GA 31208
The company recommends that you file a vehicle accident report with local law enforcement as soon as possible. If you are a GEICO policyholder, the company recommends that you report the vehicle crash and all property damages, schedule your repairs, and request roadside assistance directly with the company.
Assigning an Adjuster to Your Case
GEICO will return an insurance policy confirmation number immediately and assign your case to insurance adjusters to begin the process.
Usually, the claim adjuster will quickly respond to open the investigation. The adjuster will determine what it will take to provide immediate medical attention and repair your vehicle's damage. While the process appears to be efficient, a quick settlement could put you in financial jeopardy.
GEICO may also use a software program that severely undervalues these damages. The software program fails to consider what a judge or jury would award for pain and suffering in a case.
GEICO's Investigation Process for Personal Injury Claims
A personal injury claim should include the full range of damages you are entitled to, such as:
- Medical bills
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Mental and emotional distress
Before your car accident case can be closed, GEICO will perform a comprehensive investigation into your accident by gathering evidence from various sources, including:
- The police report filed by law enforcement from information obtained at the scene of the crash
- Statements obtained from other drivers, passengers, and witnesses at the scene
- Photographic evidence and measurements that were taken at the accident scene and property damage
- Estimateson necessary repairs based on the extent of damage to your vehicle to determine a partial value of your claim and reimbursement of rental cars
- Medical records and medical bills paid by the victim’s health insurance company
- Other economic damages like pain and suffering
- Any information provided by you through a written or oral statement.
The GEICO insurance adjuster might also ask that you provide a medical authorization release form to obtain your medical records and medical expenses. Our legal team advises you never to sign anything or speak with the insurance claim adjuster without consulting with your attorney first. The more information you provide, the better chance the adjuster has of discovering something he can use against you.
While the company is likely not acting deviously, they design their forms to provide the insurer with complete access to your comprehensive medical history, including your previous injuries, tests, diagnosis, and medical expenses and conclusions.
GEICO might hire medical professionals to review the itemized medical bills provided by your doctors and health care providers. The information is used to dispute your claim's accuracy and diminish the amount of compensation you will receive.
In some car accident cases, the information can be used to deny a claim outright or delay paying out any compensation while using pressure to get you to accept an amount significantly lower than your case’s worth.
What Your GEICO Settlement Should Cover
As a GEICO policyholder, you're entitled to certain coverage in the event of an accident, Including.
- Medical expenses: Your medical bills or ongoing medical treatment and ongoing bills should be covered including ambulance rides, hospital stays, future medical treatment, surgery, and physical therapy.
- Lost wages: If you're unable to work because of your injuries, GEICO should reimburse you for a portion of your lost wages. The amount you're entitled to will depend on the severity of your injuries(it might be a permanent injury) and how long you're out of work.
- Property damage: GEICO should reimburse you for any damage to your vehicle and any other property damaged in the accident. It includes things like repairing your car.
- Other out-of-pocket expenses: You may be entitled to additional costs, including a rental car while your vehicle is being repaired, pain, and suffering damages. Be sure to keep track of all your expenses so that you can get reimbursed.
The total of your medical bills and other financial losses are often used when calculating the value of your pain and suffering. It is a deceitful way of reducing how much your claim is worth. By lowering the total of your medical bills, the company lowers the value of your pain and suffering damages.
Know your rights and fight for the best possible outcome.
If you've been in an accident, it's important to understand what your settlement should cover to be sure you're getting fair treatment from GEICO.
Use the Skills of an Experienced Attorney
It is best to use an experienced personal injury lawyer who understands how to evaluate your claim’s worth and negotiate with the insurer on your behalf. Our attorneys understand that insurance carriers do everything necessary to get the information they need to diminish your case's value.
Our law firm knows that they will never hesitate to use the information you provided at any time in the future, including during trial, if the personal injury lawsuit goes to court.
Even though the company representative might say so, GEICO is not using this information to serve your best interest. Instead, they use this info to minimize their payouts, increase their profits, and make their shareholders happy.
Before Talking to the Insurance Company
During the insurance claims process, the injured person should never give a recorded statement or discuss how much money they would accept when talking to the driver's insurer.
Giving a recorded statement or talking about any settlement amount, the extent of medical care needed, type of injury or medical bills with the company early on can take away the victim's legal rights and upper hand to resolve the case amicably.
The surest way to resolve your compensation claim successfully is to have legal representation whenever you talk to an insurance claim adjuster.
Having a car accident attorney working on your behalf can prevent the GEICO adjusters from taking advantage of you, misconstruing your words, and building a case against you to delay or deny your claim.
Don’t Talk to the Claim Adjuster Without Legal Advice
If you receive a phone call from the insurance adjusters days after the crash, you are not obligated to make an oral or written statement. Instead, be firm but polite, and tell them that you will give the info they need when you can.
The surest way to maximize your compensation from a personal injury claim is to consult with a personal injury lawyer before talking to anyone, including family and friends. Let us handle your case to help you move forward while you heal.
Avoid admitting that you were at fault or liable for the car accident when speaking to a company representative or insurance claim adjuster. It is essential to know that the company uses deceptive practices as a pitfall to diminish your case.
The claims negotiator knows that you are inexperienced in negotiating a GEICO car accident settlement or understanding the process of obtaining fair compensation. Recognize that your best interests are only protected by you and your Chicago personal injury attorney and never by the insurer.
Resolving your case will require you to determine liability and show how others were at fault for causing your injuries. However, proving this in court can be complicated. Many victims will hire personal injury attorneys to show how others are legally liable for the car accident and financially accountable to any injured person, including you.
GEICO Auto Injury Claims FAQs
Below are some frequently asked questions raised by people injured in auto accidents involving GEICO insurance. Should you have additional questions about a GEICO claim, contact our law firm for a free consultation with an experienced car accident attorney.
Hiring Chicago GEICO Auto Personal Injury Lawyers
Were you, or a family member, involved in a car crash with a driver insured by GEICO? Contact our personal injury attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC today at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone call) or through the contact form to schedule a free consultation.
An experienced Chicago car accident lawyer can determine your case's value and take every necessary step to ensure your family receives all financial compensation available for your case.
We accept all personal injury settlement claims and wrongful death lawsuits through contingency fee agreements. The arrangement means that your payments are postponed until we have successfully resolved your case through a negotiated GEICO car accident settlement or jury trial award.
During the case review, all discussions with our law firm remain confidential through an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send sensitive information to our law office through voicemail, email, or text message. Our attorneys follow social distancing guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19 (coronavirus).