Frequently I am asked my opinion as to the absolute worst automobile insurance company. I can tell you, without any hesitation or question, that in my opinion, that company is State Farm. I have been involved in one form or another with auto insurance since 1989. Back in the late 1980s and early 90s, State Farm was hated for their hard-nosed negotiations and top-notch adjusters. They would comb through the medical records looking for pre-existing conditions, inconsistencies in injury complaints or accident accounts, and then they would offer you a figure that was not fair value, but close enough that many lawyers or injury victims would not want to take the risk of a trial. For cases that went into litigation or trial, they hired very competent trial counsel. State Farm was not liked then but they were respected.
Fast forward to today and I can tell you based on firsthand experience, that in my opinion, they do not have competent adjusters evaluating claims, and their intake staff is just as incompetent. They are short staffed. Just today, I was on hold for 15 minutes waiting for a manager because they adjuster has not called me back. That adjuster told me they are all overwhelmed and she herself has over 400 files! This is a huge number for single adjuster. The intake staff taking the claims do not understand the coverages available and some have refused to take a claim because they aren’t smart enough to understand how the crash implicates their coverage. Many times, the adjusters claim they never received the full medical records or bills, when in fact they did, and they are simply manufacturing excuses for their delays. As to offers on the cases, I have yet to talk with a State Farm adjuster that can explain the offer they are making. They cannot cite me to records or other evidence that would justify the low offer. I often hear complaints from their own defense attorneys that they cannot get the adjuster to call them back, or they cannot get authority to settle cases they know should be settled, or never should have been filed.
What is the result of all of this?
Well, if you are at fault in a crash and you are insured with State Farm, and you injure someone, you could end up getting sued, because your insurance adjuster never responded to injured person’s demands, or made a low ball offer with absolutely nothing to back up the low ball offer. Depending on your coverage, that case that probably could have been settled within your coverage, may now go to trial and result in a verdict in excess of your coverage, making you personally responsible for that amount over your coverage. If you get hit by someone with State Farm coverage, the odds are that your attorney will have to file suit and the case may not settle. Not because you or your attorney are asking too much, but because the State Farm adjuster is either incompetent or overwhelmed and no reasonable offer will be made before the case is tried.
What can you do about this?
Well, I can tell you based on my experience filing complaints with the VA Bureau of Insurance, will not help.
So, that leaves three things. If you have State Farm, switch to another carrier. Most people pay years and years of premiums and never, or rarely ever make a claim. You deserve to be treated fairly when a claim is made.
The second thing you can do is to contact your legislative representative. Virginia needs some “bad faith” legislation with some teeth that will protect accident victims and others making claims to insurance carriers, so as to force the carriers to do what they contracted to do!
And lastly, hire a personal injury lawyer to represent you and your best interests. Hiring an attorney will force the Insurance Company to take your claim seriously. If you have had enough of the insurance company’s run around and need help with your personal injury lawsuit, I am here to help. Call today for a FREE consultation and get the representation you need.
