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Long known for their jingle (“Nationwide is on your side!”), Nationwide Insurance has grown in size and ubiquity to become easily recognized everywhere. Since their founding in 1925 in Columbus, Ohio, Nationwide (formerly known as the Farm Bureau Mutual Automobile Insurance Company) has grown to over thirty thousand employees and millions of policyholders that generate thirty billion dollars in revenue as of 2012. Its origins were humble in serving automobile owners and homeowners in times of tragedy. However, the company has rapidly adapted to changing times by sponsoring professional golf leagues and creating mobile applications to better serve customers.
If you, or a loved one, were involved in a Chicago car accident involving Nationwide Insurance, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC can help you obtain the compensation that you are entitled to receive under Illinois law. Our attorneys have successfully negotiated injury claims on behalf of our clients who were injured in auto accidents across Illinois. Contact our law office for a free review of your legal options to pursue an auto accident compensation claim or lawsuit against a Nationwide insured.
Since their inception in the automobile insurance industry, Nationwide has grown to accommodate customers by providing numerous insurance products and banking services including some of the following:
- Vehicle Insurance: Nationwide offers a fleet of products and services for cars, motorcycles, trucks, boats, and RVs including liability coverage, collision coverage, and uninsured motorist coverage. The company offers more than the state-required minimums for these categories and provides compensation for vehicle repair, medical payments, and roadside assistance.
- Home Insurance: Nationwide provides comprehensive coverage owners and renters of homes, condos, and rental units. Policies allow for the replacement of personal belongings, temporary lodgings, home repair, and theft protection.
- Life Insurance: Nationwide offers various packages for "end of life" care, financial support of loved ones, and burial expense coverage.
- Banking Services: Nationwide established an online bank for customers who want to obtain financing at low rates.
A Glimpse Into the Litigation Setting Involving Nationwide Insurance
Like many other large insurance companies, Nationwide Insurance has litigated thousands of claims and lawsuits over the last ten years. Its ever-burgeoning client base exposes the company to lawsuits on numerous fronts. What follows is a review of litigation against Nationwide since 2005.
The analyzed jury awards and out of court settlement amounts at the national and Illinois levels across all categories of cases (specifically insurance, corporate, employment, real property, and products liability) below provide insight in how cases are financially resolved. Theses insurance cases are separated and examined based on automobile cases in the insurance category.
There was a slight difference in levels of success for plaintiffs between Illinois and the nation against Nationwide Insurance across all litigation categories. For example, a higher percentage of plaintiffs across the country received nothing (31%) compared to those in Illinois (25%). However, when plaintiffs were able to extract jury awards or settlement amounts from Nationwide, plaintiffs in other states were more successful than those in Illinois.
Only twenty-four percent (24%) of plaintiffs in Illinois received more than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) compared to thirty-four percent (34%) in the remaining forty-nine states. Consequently, a higher percentage of Illinois plaintiffs (51%) received sums less than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00), compared to thirty-three percent (33%) nationally.
Looking only at insurance litigation, there are marked differences in plaintiffs’ returns against Nationwide Insurance between Illinois and the nation. For example, only nineteen percent (19%) of plaintiffs in Illinois received nothing, compared to thirty-five percent (25%) nationally. On the other hand, thirty-two percent (32%) of plaintiffs across the country received more than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) but only twenty percent (20%) received that much in Illinois.
This left a staggeringly high number (61%) of plaintiffs in Illinois who received smaller sums under one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00). Alternatively, at the national level, this statistic was only thirty-three percent (33%). Thus, while plaintiff returns in Illinois resembled a traditional bell curve, those in the other states resembled more of a modest decline as jury awards and settlement amounts increased.
Finally, similar patterns emerge when separating automobile cases from the larger group of insurance cases. Again, more Illinois plaintiffs were awarded or negotiated a settlement to resolve their case compared to those in other states that averaged only sixteen percent (16%). However, the unfortunate pattern story repeats for Illinois plaintiffs who received smaller sums at increasing rates where eighty percent (80%) recovered less than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00), compared to fifty-five (55%) nationally.
Thus, plaintiffs recovered huge sums at a greater rate in states outside Illinois. Specifically, ten percent (10%) had sums in excess of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) in the forty-nine states compared to numbers in the single digits in Illinois. From these numbers, we can make numerous conclusions that are summarized below:
- Illinois was a common site of litigation against Nationwide Insurance, but not as common as against other insurers.
- The pattern of return generally differed nationally as compared to that in Illinois, as the former more closely resembled a declining slope while the latter reflected a bell curve.
- Generally, more plaintiffs in Illinois recovered sums but those in other states recovered sums in greater amounts.
After a catastrophe, Nationwide Insurance wants you to get by their side in one of five ways: calling 1-800-421-3535, reporting it online, contacting a local Nationwide agent, using your online Nationwide account, or downloading and utilizing the Nationwide mobile application. Most of these methods can be employed at all hours of the day, every day of the year. After initiating this process, Nationwide Insurance will formally investigate and consider the merits and extent of coverage.
Retaining an Illinois Attorney to Protect Your Interests in a Nationwide Insurance Claim Involving Injury or Death
However, because Nationwide is a neutral party and not on your side, and because you may not know the intricacies of the insurance process or the underlying substantive law, it is critical to obtain effective and enthusiastic legal counsel. A lawyer can ensure you take every step necessary at every stage to maintain your recovery or possibly even prevent wrongful liability. From the accident to the courtroom, you need a zealous advocate. Contact Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC today to gain practical guidance regarding your accident and experiences with Nationwide Insurance concerning Chicago auto and premises liability cases.
