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What may spring to mind when you think of GEICO Insurance are the commercials featuring the adorable gecko with the British accent. However amusing GEICO’s commercials may be, if you have to file a claim with GEICO after receiving a personal injury, your experience may be complex and overwhelming.
If you or your loved one has suffered a personal injury and filed a personal injury claim with GEICO insurance, call Zinda Law Group at (888) 449-1160 for a free consultation with one of our experienced personal injury lawyers.
Negotiating an Insurance Claim with GEICO
Like in any negotiation, expect a counteroffer that is much lower than your original offer. If the claims adjuster presents you with an extremely low counteroffer, do not become desperate and accept the offer. Understand that negotiations with GEICO take time. Do not be in a rush and accept an offer that you do not feel comfortable with.
Furthermore, remember that there is a possibility of taking your case to trial. While you may not want to go to trial, insurance companies also do not want to either. Trials are extremely costly, and the insurance company will likely be at a disadvantage if your case has merit. If the claims adjuster is persistent with a lowball offer, then let him or her know that you are not afraid of going to court.
Document as Much as Possible
After an accident, always collect documentation of expenses that you incurred because of the accident. These include medical bills, lost wages, and property damage. Besides the above documents, be sure to always document and retrieve evidence from the scene of the accident. Get the name, address, and insurance information from all those who were involved in the accident.
Witnesses can also be extremely important in insurance settlement cases if they can help support your case. If there were witnesses to the accident, you should also get the names and contact information of the witnesses. If any of the witnesses took photographs or video recordings of the accident, ask them for copies. If you have camera at the scene of the accident, take some photographs of the scene.
Determine a Minimum Settlement Amount
Before GEICO’s claims adjuster arrives at your doorstep with a lowball offer, figure out your claim’s value. In order to figure out your claim’s value, collect the medical bills and other expenses you incurred because of the injury. If you have missed work because of your injuries, you should also collect your previous pay stubs and other evidence of your income. For more information about how to determine the value of your claim, view our article: Personal Injury Settlement Calculator
Remember, the claims adjuster is not going to give you the most generous settlement offer. However, you should always try to obtain an amount as close to your minimum settlement offer. Even if the offer from GEICO’s claims adjuster may sound reasonable to you, do not accept any offer without figuring out a minimum settlement amount.
Keep Your Story Straight
Treat a conversation with the claim adjusters extremely seriously as anything you say to the claims adjuster during the negotiation process can be used against you. Realize that every conversation you have with GEICO’s claims adjuster will be recorded. If you are not cautious and accidentally admit fault after having said that you were not fault, or, at the very least, say that the accident was partially your fault, you undermine your claim’s value. Thus, you will want to write a statement of what happened at the accident and stick to that statement every time you meet with the claims adjuster.
Get Help from Experienced Personal Injury Lawyers
An insurance company has an army of lawyers who can easily overwhelm an individual who decides to go against the insurance company alone. Thus, an experienced lawyer can be a valuable ally who can help even the scales. At Zinda Law Group, our attorneys negotiate on behalf of their clients and pursue maximum compensation.
If you or your loved one has suffered a personal injury and filed a personal injury claim with GEICO insurance, call Zinda Law Group at (888) 449-1160 for a free consultation with one of our experienced personal injury lawyers
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