If you were hit by another driver and you were injured, it may pay to discuss your options with an experienced California car accident lawyer. It could be the only way to secure full recovery support from an unhelpful State Farm insurance adjuster.
If a collision only leaves you with a dented bumper or a crumpled hood, you may not need a lawyer’s help with your claim. The vehicle damage claims process is fairly standardized nowadays. You should be able to file a claim and get the support you need to repair your vehicle or perhaps purchase a new one.
Here’s a guide to how to file a claim with State Farm and how to avoid being taken advantage of in the difficult aftermath of a crash.
Filing a Car Accident Claim with State Farm Insurance
State Farm allows accident victims to file claims quickly and easily. But car accident victims should be reminded that quick and easy claims don’t always mean they are getting the most in support for their damages and injuries.
State Farm customers and non-customers can file in one of three ways:
- State Farm Website
- State Farm App
- A Call to State Farm 800-SF-Claim (800-732-5246)
Your claim will be reviewed, and you will be instructed as to what comes next. If the damage is minor, you can take advantage of State Farm’s virtual estimator to submit photos of scratches and dents and get a fast appointment for a fix.
In many cases, you’ll be directed to select a body shop you want to use in the State Farm network, or at one of your choosing.
State Farm will supply a check to the body shop, to your bank account, or send you a check. This all sounds pretty simple, but remember, if a serious injury is also involved, things can get complex quickly. Insurers will suddenly prove unhelpful because they don’t want to be responsible for growing medical bills, even if their policyholder was clearly at fault in the accident. Turning your case over to a California car accident lawyer can result in a stronger claim and a bigger settlement check.
The California Department of Insurance offers a helpful guide for people going through the claims process after a car accident.
Avoiding Insurance Pitfalls After a California Car Accident
State Farm might offer you a very quick settlement. You may be struggling with medical bills and lost time at work, and be ready to jump at any money you can get. But there may be a reason insurance adjusters offer you some fast cash for your signature. That settlement you’ve been offered may be far below what you’ll end up spending on doctors and what you’ve already lost in paychecks.
Insurers hope you sign off on this “lowball” settlement offer, because once they have your signature, you can’t ever go back to ask for more. This is a problem if your injuries flare back up, or your car suddenly quits a day later, because not all of the damages were discovered previously.
You may decide you don’t need an experienced lawyer to protect your rights, but there are still things you can look out for when working with State Farm to get accident compensation:
- Shifting Blame. Insurance adjusters may try to blame you for an accident you didn’t cause.
- Misrepresenting the Coverage. Insurers may deny your claim by citing some fine print in the policy that may or may not really be there.
- Quick Settlement Offers. Insurers can offer you a small settlement in the first few days before you really know the full effects of a collision.
- Delayed Settlement Offers. Insurers can also delay a settlement on purpose, hoping you get financially desperate enough to accept a “lowball” settlement offer later.
- Misusing Recorded Statements. Taking any recorded statements you give State Farm and twisting your words to damage your case.
- Not Telling You About All the Benefits. Insurers don’t have to tell you about all the benefits that may be available.
Trusting your case to a lawyer, especially if you’ve been injured, can act as a safeguard when insurance adjusters try to blame you or try to discount your injuries. Your lawyer also fully investigates the accident so that the evidence can back up a strong case. Your lawyer goes over every settlement offer to make sure it covers every damage you’ve had to endure. If it doesn’t, your lawyer helps you reject it and demand more.
Discussing Your Insurance Claim with a Skilled California Car Accident Attorney
If you were in a serious accident and you feel the insurance company isn’t offering you enough to recover, contact Maison Law for a free case consultation. If an insurer is trying to blame you for an accident you didn’t cause, give us a call. It’s an easy way to discuss all of your options and stay informed of your rights.
There’s also no obligation for your meeting. If you do need our help to force more out of State Farm, you 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.
