You may be struck by another driver and then referred to the driver’s Farmers Insurance coverage. If you were injured in the accident, it’s a good idea to discuss your options with a California car accident lawyer before getting too far with a Farmers Insurance Adjuster. Having legal representation may be the only way you can secure full recovery support for your medical bills and lost time at work.
If a collision only leaves you with a crumpled door or other body damage, 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 on how to file a claim with Farmers and how to avoid being taken advantage of while in recovery.
Where Do I Start When Filing a Car Accident Claim with Farmers Insurance?
As mentioned above, if your accident involves an injury, you should seriously consider turning your case over to a skilled Maison Law attorney. If you hire a lawyer, your lawyer will file your claim for you and handle the entirety of the frustrating claims process.
But if you are handling your case yourself, Farmers has a fairly simple process for filing a claim and getting vehicle repairs paid for. Just remember, that just because your settlement check comes easily, it doesn’t mean you are receiving everything you should to restore your health and your savings.
You’ll have three options to file.
- Filing on the Farmers Website
- Filing using the Farmers App on your phone
- Filing by calling the claims center at 1-800-435-7764
An insurance adjuster will take over your case and investigate the details. Then you can choose an in-network repair facility or choose one of your own. Be aware that if you choose one of Farmers’ approved body shops, the work will be guaranteed for as long as you keep the car. Farmers would send your repair payment to the body shop or send it to you.
What If My Car is Totaled in a California Traffic Accident?
Farmers Insurance will have your vehicle damage assessed and valued. In California, if the value of your car (before it was wrecked) is less than the cost to repair it plus the money it’s worth in salvage, then your car is declared “totaled.”
A claims adjuster would usually then provide you with whatever your car would be worth if it were still undamaged.
Avoid Losing Accident Compensation When Dealing with Farmers Insurance
If you are seriously hurt in a car accident, it’s a good idea to let a lawyer handle your case and protect you from insurance tactics. A serious injury can include something like a broken arm, a neck injury, or a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The recovery costs will be much greater, and insurers will fight harder to avoid accepting blame for what happened.
If you’ll be handling your claim yourself, you should still monitor the claims process for these common insurance strategies that can rob victims of support:
- Shifting The Blame: Farmers might determine that their best way to save money on your case is simply to declare that you caused your own accident. They can take this angle even if the evidence doesn’t back that up. If you don’t have a lawyer, the insurance adjuster may even get away with this shady strategy. You may give up your claim and pay your medical bills yourself. That’s what they hope. A Maison Law attorney can investigate your accident and collect all evidence. That can mean referencing police accident reports, securing accident reconstruction data, and documenting witness testimony. Your lawyer would fight back on your behalf and force Farmers to give up its smear campaign.
- A Fast Response: The insurer’s first step may be to speed up or hit the brakes on your accident claim. Farmers could make you an immediate settlement offer. But quick money isn’t always a win. The insurance adjuster usually does this to get victims to sign off on a “lowball” settlement offer before they have a chance to learn what their recovery will actually cost.
- A Slow Response: Giant insurance companies also like to purposely delay a response to accident victims and delay settlement offers. They do this in the hopes that the longer you wait, the more desperate you’ll get as medical bills stack up.
- Refusal to Settle: If insurers don’t think you’ve considered hiring a lawyer, they can also try another shady trick. They can reject your claim on a flimsy excuse. They may say that the fine print in the at-fault driver’s insurance policy means you aren’t due any support. They could falsely claim that you are responsible for the accident. They may say you are faking your injury. They refuse to provide any help, hoping you’ll just go away. If you then hire an attorney, Farmers Insurance may quickly change its tune and settle. And if they don’t, your attorney will have evidence ready to file a lawsuit and take the insurer to court.
Discussing Your Insurance Claim with a Skilled California Car Accident Attorney
If you are uncertain about whether you need the help of a lawyer, you should contact Maison Law of California for a free consultation. It’s an easy way to discuss your options with a real attorney.
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.
