If you were injured by a careless driver in an accident and the driver has Progressive Insurance coverage, it’s a good idea to speak to a lawyer.
You’ll want to go over your options before saying too much to an insurance representative and before signing off on a settlement agreement that may not go far enough. Once you sign, you can never ask the insurer for anything more.
But if an accident only causes vehicle damage and/or very superficial injuries, you may not need a lawyer’s help. As long as Progressive accepts responsibility for the driver, you should be able to file a claim and get the support you need to repair a car and perhaps pay for one trip to the emergency room.
Here’s a guide to how to file a claim with Progressive and how to avoid falling into common insurance traps meant to limit what you earn in support.
Filing a Car Accident Claim with Progressive Insurance
Progressive makes it easy to file a claim after an accident. They have a convenient website where you can enter your information and complete your claim. There’s a separate process if you need to file a claim, but you are not a Progressive customer. There’s also a Progressive app that allows you to file a claim from your phone. You can also call the company to file a report at 1-800-776-4737.
For a simple car repair after an accident, the process is fairly standard:
- File your claim.
- Submit pictures.
- Choose if you’d like to have repairs made at a repair shop in the Progressive network or at a shop you select. You can also receive a check for the damages to take care of the repairs on your own.
- A representative schedules the repairs.
- If your car could be a total loss, there will be a different process. More information on totaled cars can be found here from Progressive. In California, a car is deemed a total loss by adding the cost of repairs to the value of the car in salvage. If it’s more than the “actual cash value” (ACV) of the car, then the car is considered totaled. The ACV is the estimated value of the car before it was damaged in the accident.
If you have Progressive Insurance, you should file a claim with the insurer, no matter who was at fault. You should always let your insurer know that you’ve been in an accident. If the other driver was at fault, you may still need to file a claim with Progressive on your own policy. This allows you to seek support if the at-fault driver’s insurance doesn’t cover all of your damages.
The California Department of Insurance offers a helpful guide for people going through the claims process after a car accident.
Avoiding Insurance Tactics When Dealing with Progressive After an Accident
A lawyer can help you safeguard your case and make sure you receive everything you need to fully recover and rebuild your life.
However, if you handle your claim yourself, there are still some things you can be cautious of as you navigate the sometimes frustrating claims process.
These are some common insurance tactics that cost accident victims support and benefits:
- Disputing Fault. Insurance adjusters often try to pin the blame on another driver, even if a California Highway Patrol accident report makes it clear who was at fault. If they can get you to accept the fault, they can ignore your accident claim. The other driver may even be able to ask your auto insurance provider for support. A lawyer provides evidence to make sure this can’t happen.
- Beware of Photo Estimates. If you submit photos and quickly get a settlement offer, you should give it some thought before signing off on the repair settlement. A speedy check will be nice, but the repair estimates are based on photos that might not show the full range of damage. A dented door could be hiding more extensive damage underneath, and you could need more to fully repair the vehicle. Auto shops are supposed to alert Progressive when damage goes further than first thought, but mechanics can miss damage, and insurers can fail to mention the findings on purpose. It may pay to have an adjuster come out to inspect the car or to have your own body shop estimate the damage in person.
- The Run Around. This can be part of a delay tactic. Sending you to a different insurance representative, often a low-level employee, who can’t really give you any help. They keep you going in circles so you get desperate enough to accept any offer. A skilled lawyer knows how to cut through the red tape and who to speak to when you need results.
- Lowball Settlement Offers. These are settlement offers that won’t cover all of your medical bills and reimburse you for income lost while you’ve missed work. A “lowball” offer may arrive quickly when insurers hope you don’t fully realize how much your recovery is going to cost. A lowball offer may be sent to you after months of waiting, when adjusters are hoping you are weighed down with so many hospital bills that you are desperate enough to accept anything. In reality, you should be rejecting these offers and demanding more. A lawyer can help you identify lowball offers and put pressure on insurers to provide more.
- Beware of Recorded Statements. Twisting Words from Recorded Statements. The at-fault driver’s insurance provider will call you and ask to get a recorded statement about what happened over the phone. Refuse. You are not obligated to give this statement. Only give basic facts about your driver’s license and car insurance information. Insurers hope that you’ll make a statement that they can twist later to make it look like you admitted to causing the accident, or that your injuries aren’t as bad as you claim.
What Kind of Support Can I Seek from Progressive after a California Accident?
You should receive support for every economic and non-economic hardship you suffer after an accident caused by a careless driver. But if you don’t include all of your damages when making a claim, an insurer can ignore anything you leave out.
These damages are left for you and your family to pay.
That’s why it’s critical to request support for every loss you endure and back each request up with documentation such as receipts and invoices, paystubs, and medical charts.
Your lawyer can help you demand compensation in a settlement check for these and other damages:
- Hospital and physical therapy expenses.
- Estimates for the support you could need over a lifetime after suffering a permanent physical disability.
- Emotional distress, such as anxiety and PTSD symptoms, you experience due to the trauma of a car crash. The depression you face during a long and difficult injury rehabilitation also factors in.
- The physical pain you endure and the pain that may be present in the years to come.
- Past and future lost income.
- Damage or destruction of property.
- Wrongful Death Benefits. Families can file a claim to ask for support for burial costs and remaining medical bills. They’ll also earn support for the guidance and lost income that the deceased will no longer be able to provide to the family.
Discussing Your Insurance Claim with a Skilled California Car Accident Attorney
If you feel uncertain about whether you need the help of a lawyer to get the most out of your claim, you should contact Maison Law of California for a free consultation. It’s an easy way to discuss your options and stay informed of your rights.
If we can’t help you earn more for your claim, we’ll be upfront with you. But when claims involve serious injuries, like broken bones, neck and back injuries, or brain injuries, it can pay to speak to a lawyer. An experienced California car accident lawyer has a good chance to earn you much more than you could secure by handling your case yourself.
You also don’t have to worry about having the money to hire Maison Law if you need us. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our lawyer’s fee comes out of the settlement money that a car insurance company must hand over to you.
