We’ll be upfront with you: There’s one major secret everyone dealing with a State Farm car accident claim needs to know right now. Every single insurance company has one thing in common: They want to pay you as little as possible. It’s not personal, it’s just how they make money. They charge monthly premiums—which most customers dutifully pay each month—only to try to dodge paying out when injured people truly need help.
Last year State Farm’s net worth grew by more than $10 billion. The trick to generating maximum profit as an insurance company is to take in as much as you can in premiums, and pay out as little as you can in claims. Again, it’s not specific to State Farm; it’s simple math. An insurance company is a business, and like any other, State Farm is there to make money. If you want a “good neighbor,” I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to move in next door to Mr. Rogers!
If you don’t want State Farm to turn a profit by underpaying YOUR claim, keep reading. We’ll let you in on a few secrets of State Farm, tell you how to avoid getting taken advantage of, plus let you know how to maximize your car accident settlement.
We are a national law firm based in Houston with multiple offices around the country. We also work with affiliate law firms in most states that share our focus and dedication to excellence. No matter where you are located, we may be able to help you, so call or contact us now. We are open, for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 800-898-4877, or you may contact us now by [CLICKING HERE] to submit your case for review.
State Farm Insurance Claims Secret #1: Passing the Buck
Despite all the “good neighbor” marketing frequently presented in television ads by Golden Globe nominee Dennis Haysbert, Academy Award-winning actor J.K. Simmons, or Green Bay Packers superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers, State Farm is not there to be your friend, be your neighbor, or loan you a cup of sugar when you’re baking cookies with the kids. It’s a giant company that exists to make money, nothing more and nothing less.
The first secret of dealing with a State Farm car accident claim is to find out who your adjuster is. If you find out that your claim was handed to a “Team” of adjusters (such as the notorious “Team 22”), in my experience, you can be sure of one thing— State Farm will NOT offer you a fair value for your claim. If State Farm assigns your claim to a “team” of adjusters, it means the company considers it a lower value / lower risk claim and it is going to lowball you every step of the way. A “team” adjuster assignment means State Farm considers yours a “minor” accident versus a major injury claim.
While all of the adjusters have the same goal in mind—to pay you as little as possible—the team adjusters have the very lowest levels of authority and are only able to make low-dollar offers on any claim. Typically speaking, if you end up having to file a lawsuit, State Farm will reassign your claim to a dedicated individual adjuster higher up on the ladder. While this is no guarantee of an increase in the settlement offer, typically State Farm will up its offer once you file a lawsuit.
State Farm Insurance Claims Secret #2: Using Your Words Against You
The next secret of dealing with State Farm pertains to recorded statements—specifically, that you do not have to give one!
To clarify, when you are making a claim against the person who hit your car (what we car accident attorneys call a “third party claim”), you are not obligated to give a recorded statement to the State Farm adjuster. Beware: they may try to behave as if this is a “required” part of the claims process. Know your rights; don’t fall for this trick.
When I represent someone who was injured in a car accident and I’m up against State Farm, I will deny the request for a recorded statement about 95% of the time. Why do they really need it? If they have questions about the facts of the accident, they can check the police report. If they have questions about your injuries, they can look at the complete copies of medical records and bills sent to them after you complete your treatment. It’s all there in black and white.
The real reason the State Farm adjuster wants to take a verbal recorded statement from you is simple. They have a list of leading questions they’re going to ask. These questions are designed to produce answers that will best suit the insurance company’s needs, and work against you and your financial recovery.
For example, they are less likely to make an open-ended statement, such as “Tell me about all of your injuries.” Rather, they may ask something like, “How are you feeling today?” This question seems innocuous but it is designed for you to give the reflexive answer of “Fine.” If you go back and change your story later, they have you “on record” saying you were “fine,” and they will use what you said against you!
Keep in mind, many times people feel a lot worse a day or two after a collision. Adrenaline from a car accident masks some of your pain initially. You may give a recorded statement to a State Farm adjuster the day of the accident, inadvertently say that you are “okay,” but feel so much pain the next day you can’t even get out of bed. This is why it’s important to watch what you say, or better yet, direct all communication to your lawyer instead.
Bottom line: There is no legal requirement that you must give a recorded statement when making a third party car accident injury claim against State Farm! Don’t let the insurance adjusters pressure you into it.
State Farm Insurance Claims Secret #3: Citing Pre-Existing Conditions
Another thing that State Farm will do to keep compensation out of the hands of the people who rightfully deserve it is to go digging into their past to find anything that could justify reducing or even completely denying a claim. State Farm accomplishes this by making unreasonably broad medical record requests and going through your files with a fine-toothed comb, even if they are decades old. They’re looking for anything that could qualify as a pre-existing condition, which they will use to invalidate your pain and suffering.
Thus, the third secret of handling a claim with State Farm insurance is that you must take great care with the medical records you hand over. For best results, have the legal team at Stewart J. Guss, Injury Accident Lawyers, carefully review every request for medical records made by the insurance company. State Farm is not entitled to your full medical history.
Let’s consider a situation in which a car accident victim sustained extremely serious injuries in a rear-end collision and is suffering from debilitating neck pain. If an insurance company catches wind of a 20-year old neck injury that occurred while the victim was playing soccer in high school, it may attempt to use it as a way to justify reducing the compensation it offers the victim. For this reason, never give the insurance company authorization to request medical records on your behalf. Deny any requests for records that seem overbroad or like they may not relate to your accident.
When you retain the team at Stewart J. Guss, Injury Accident Lawyers, we will handle all communications with the insurance company for you. We make sure they only obtain medical records that are relevant to your case and the situation at hand. We know a fishing expedition when we see it, and we also know how to take steps to fully protect our clients’ rights every step of the way. We want you to avoid unnecessary stress and focus on getting back to your daily life.
State Farm Insurance Claims Secret #4: Stubborn Stalling
The fourth secret of handling a car insurance claim involves recognizing another one of State Farm’s sneaky tactics. State Farm and other insurance companies are well aware of the financial pressures that accident victims face. For this reason, they often take their sweet time when it comes to processing a claim. They know victims’ medical bills are piling up with every passing day without a way to pay. The medical expenses associated with a car accident can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, which could easily break the bank for most people in the United States.
Furthermore, many car accident victims cannot work for weeks or even months, leaving them without any income to cover their everyday expenses like rent or mortgage payments, food, medicine, and other bills.
When your family is in serious financial jeopardy, you’re more likely to fall for paltry offers from State Farm. They know this, and they don’t care how predatory it is. The unfortunate reality is that insurance companies will use anything to their advantage, including your vulnerability after a devastating injury. They’re aware that victims are much more likely to accept a low settlement offer when they’re staring at a pile of unpaid bills and haven’t earned any money because of their injuries.
So they wait. They wait until they know that victims are so desperate that they’ll accept any offer to alleviate their financial hardship… even if it’s far less than what they really deserve or what their injuries have cost them.
Victims must understand their options to manage pre-settlement expenses. There’s no need to rush into accepting a sub-standard settlement offer.
At Stewart J. Guss, Injury Accident Lawyers, we seek to empower car accident victims like you. We understand the pressures you’re facing, and we do everything we can to ensure that the insurance company treats you fairly. We fight fiercely to obtain the compensation you deserve in a timely manner.
We know the tricks insurance companies try to play, and we can see them coming from a mile away. For this reason, we can help you avoid them and let State Farm know we mean business from the outset of your claim. If they refuse to play ball, we won’t hesitate to file a lawsuit to get you the compensation that you need!
State Farm Insurance Claims Secret #5: Talking You Out of Legal Representation
You know who State Farm adjusters hate dealing with? Experienced personal injury lawyers like the ones here at Stewart J. Guss, Injury Accident Lawyers. This is because they know our firm is aware of State Farm’s tactics and won’t settle a case for any less than our clients deserve.
For this reason, one of State Farm’s tricks is to do everything it can to keep you from retaining an attorney to represent you. Adjusters will reach out to you quickly after an accident, swooping in with a settlement offer that’s actually far less than you deserve.
In addition, they will try to talk you out of retaining an attorney, telling you that doing so will only reduce the amount of money you ultimately receive. What they don’t tell you is that in most cases, the representation of a lawyer results in significantly more compensation for victims, even after factoring in attorney fees. Don’t trust the insurance adjusters; get a free case evaluation from a car accident attorney today.
How an Experienced Car Accident Attorney Can Get You the Compensation You Deserve
On this page you’ve read just a few of the tricks that State Farm and other insurance companies use to pay injured victims as little as they can. The worst part of it all? These large companies are lining their pockets with cash. State Farm alone took in $63.9 billion in one year and has a net worth of more than $100 billion. They’re keeping that money out of the hands of people who desperately need it to pay for their basic needs, people who are injured through no fault of their own.
All the while, State Farm is paying a couple of Hollywood actors and an NFL quarterback to perform in their commercials.
This is why the attorneys and legal professionals of Stewart J. Guss, Injury Accident Lawyers, have dedicated their careers to helping injured victims get the compensation they deserve. We know right from wrong, and we know accident victims need help standing up to nameless and faceless corporations whose only priority is their bottom line.
Here are some of the specific ways an experienced lawyer can help you get the compensation you deserve — from State Farm and other insurance companies:
- Protect your rights during the claims process – If you suffered an injury in an accident, the insurance company’s adjusters will not hesitate to take advantage of you. As discussed above, they may pressure you into releasing irrelevant medical records, try to trick you into making a statement that indicates that you were at fault for your accident, or even try to get you to sign away all of your rights for pennies on the dollar. The unfortunate reality is that they get away with this kind of conduct on a daily basis. They deal with insurance claims each and every day, and you’re just another number to them. Most of the people they are dealing with were never hurt in a serious accident before and don’t have the experience to fight back. Once you retain an attorney who will handle all aspects of your insurance claim for you, you will ensure that your rights are fully protected and that the insurance company treats you fairly.
- Determine the ACTUAL cost of your injuries – Figuring out just how much a car accident case has cost you is an EXTREMELY complicated task. While it may seem easy to determine your current medical expenses, car repair bills, and lost income, what about your future medical expenses? What about your pain and suffering? An accident impacts all areas of your life. Your phone might’ve been lost or broken in the accident. You may need help with chores or childcare. Your injuries may require months of physical therapy. In cases where victims are NEVER able to return to work, it’s also necessary to figure out how much income they would have earned during the course of their entire careers, which is much more complicated than just taking a person’s salary and multiplying it by the number of years they had left before retirement. Determining the full value of a car accident claim often requires significant legal analysis and the assistance of actuarial professionals. We’ve seen it all, and we’re here to help. Accident victims must retain an attorney before accepting a settlement offer. How can you even begin to negotiate a fair settlement if you don’t even know how much your injuries have cost you? Worst of all, once you accept a settlement, it’s nearly impossible to go back and try to get additional compensation. Vulnerable victims only have one chance to get it right.
- Attempt to negotiate a fair settlement offer – Fortunately, the vast majority of personal injury cases settle out of court. When a case settles, it means that the insurance company accepts that its customer was responsible for the accident and pays the victim an agreed-upon amount of money in return for the victim releasing the insurance company and its customer from further liability. Reaching a fair settlement agreement takes both significant negotiation skills and an understanding of the law. Parties who are unfamiliar with the process are putting themselves at a distinct disadvantage if they choose to represent themselves in settlement negotiations. Luckily, the legal team of Stewart J. Guss, Injury Accident Lawyers, consists of skilled negotiators who know how to get insurance companies like State Farm to pay up.
- Take your case to trial, if necessary – In some cases, the insurance company simply refuses to make a fair settlement offer, even in light of demonstrated losses and strong evidence that a customer was at fault. When this occurs, victims have no choice but to take their cases to court. At Stewart J. Guss, Injury Accident Lawyers, we are experienced and aggressive litigators who are never afraid to take a case to trial when justice demands it. We won’t hesitate to go up against State Farm or any other large insurer to get our clients the compensation they legally deserve.
These are just a few of the specific ways that an experienced car accident lawyer can help you navigate a State Farm car accident claim. Above all, remember that the insurance company is NOT on your side and will take every opportunity it has to keep as much money from you as it can. In fact, without a lawyer, no one involved in the claims process is on your side, except you. When you retain our law firm, you’ll have a team of experienced advocates in your corner that know the tricks State Farm is going to try to use to minimize the amount of compensation you recover. Don’t worry; we’re always thinking several steps ahead.
Caught Red-Handed
Several years ago, CNN’s Anderson Cooper did an excellent investigative piece about the claims handling procedures of State Farm and a couple other major insurance companies. What it boiled down to was this: State Farm was using the “Three D” approach, “Deny, Delay, and Defend,” particularly on what they considered “lower impact” (i.e. the most common) claims.
Basically, State Farm found that by fighting back as hard as possible against people making car accident claims, it significantly increased its profit margins. Injured car accident victims felt discouraged and overwhelmed. Essentially, State Farm was exposed for making it so hard to pursue fair compensation that many people would give up the fight and just settle for the low offers.
State Farm (and other insurance companies) argued that they needed to use such “hardball” tactics to fight insurance fraud, but the fact is that only a very tiny percentage of auto accident claims are fraudulent. Because of State Farm’s tactics, many innocent victims end up in financial ruin.
Personally, I cannot keep count of the number of times I’ve represented a car accident victim making a claim against State Farm who has expressed shock at the way they are treated. “But it’s all those other people that are abusing the system. I’ve got a legitimate claim and just want fair treatment!”
Yep, I know—welcome to the world of the “Three Ds.”
How Can I Afford a Lawyer for My State Farm Car Accident Claim?
If you’re facing overwhelming medical expenses and losing income because your injury prevents you from working, retaining an expensive attorney to represent you may seem like a bad idea at first, especially when the insurance company is offering you money to just settle the case and move on.
Don’t fall into their trap. ALWAYS retain a lawyer to represent you. Whether your case is almost certain to settle or it looks like it may head to trial, you need an experienced car accident attorney by your side in order to maximize your recovery amount.
The reality is there is ZERO financial risk associated with retaining one of the experienced personal injury attorneys at Stewart J. Guss, Injury Accident Lawyers. We offer completely free consultations. We will listen to your side of the story and determine whether you have a legal claim. Rest assured you are completely free to shop around and consult other law firms after a consultation with us, and we charge no fee for the consultation, whether you choose us or another firm to represent you.
In addition, with our NO WIN, NO FEE GUARANTEE, we will never collect any legal fees from you unless we successfully recover a settlement or award on your behalf. That’s right: if we don’t obtain compensation for you, you will owe us nothing for the representation and counsel we provided. By using a contingent fee arrangement, we’re able to provide legal representation to everyone who needs it, even if they are unable to pay for a lawyer upfront.
Get a free case evaluation by reaching out to our team ASAP!
Contact Us Today to Speak With Our Experienced Car Accident Lawyers
If you were injured and you want fair treatment when making a State Farm car accident claim, call the offices of the nationally recognized personal injury legal team of Stewart J. Guss, Injury Accident Lawyers.
With principal offices in Houston, Texas, Stewart J. Guss, Injury Accident Lawyers have fought against tricky insurance adjuster tactics for more than 20 years.
Remember, because we take all of our personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, there is no charge for your consultation, and you will not owe us a DIME unless we win your case!
We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so call us today at 800-898-4877 or contact us now by CLICKING HERE. Know your rights, know your options, and get the money you deserve!
