GEICO Car Accident Lawyer
GEICO Insurance
GEICO, the second largest insurance company in America, covers more than 16 million motor vehicles, including motorcycles, cars, trucks, and commercial vehicles. This private corporation offers passenger vehicle insurance in all states and is the fastest growing insurer in the country. The letters in the name GEICO stands for Government Employees Insurance Company. The company was founded in 1936 for federal government workers and their family members. Berkshire Hathaway acquired the company six decades later. Its headquarters are in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Along with online claims submittals and emergency road services, the company offers accident forgiveness, and an in-house auto repair express program known as ARX.
Filing a Car Accident Claim
The company has a fairly straightforward process for filing a claim. It can be accomplished online on the company’s website, over the phone, through a mobile app or by writing the company at its Georgia post office box address. GEICO recommends that a vehicle accident report be filed with local law enforcement, preferably at the accident scene. For its own policyholders, the company requests that they personally report the accident details and any damage directly.
GEICO provides a confirmation number right away and assigns the case to a claims adjuster to begin the process. Their claims adjusters typically respond quickly and open an investigation assessing what is needed in the way of immediate medical care and provision for repairing the vehicle’s damage.
Here’s where a problem can arise for individual policyholders, however. While it may seem very efficient to have a quick settlement available from the claims adjuster, this part of the process could potentially put the accident victim in financial jeopardy. The actions of GEICO’s claims adjusters may not be deceitful but may be designed to resolve the claim quickly before you actually understand the full degree of your injuries and damages.
The GEICO Investigation Process
The company will gather information from a number of sources then perform a comprehensive investigation of your accident. Some of the information they collect will include:
- Statements acquired from drivers, passengers and other individuals who witnessed the wreck
- A police report generated by law enforcement based on information gathered at the accident scene
- Pictures and measurements from the scene of the crash
- Repair estimates assessing the extent of damage to your vehicle
- Any and all information you provide via written or oral statements
Please be aware that the claims adjuster may request that you supply a medical authorization release form allowing GEICO to obtain copies of your medical records. The legal team at our law firm advises that you not sign anything or talk with a claims adjuster until you first consult with your attorney. While the insurance company may not be acting deviously, their forms are designed to give insurers complete access to every aspect of your comprehensive medical history, including any previous injuries, all diagnoses, tests and medical conclusions.
Loaded with your complete medical history, representatives of the insurance company will go over every detail of your past medical issues, even the psychiatric evaluation you took two decades ago. These individuals will be looking for any piece of information that can potentially dispute and diminish the accuracy of your claim, thus reducing the compensation amount you will receive. It is possible that information extracted from your past medical records may even be used to outright deny a claim or to put pressure on you to accept a lesser amount of compensation than you deserve. A car accident victim will benefit from having an experienced personal injury attorney personally evaluate the medical records and then reveal them to the insurance company at an appropriate time.
Before Speaking with a Claims Adjuster
To help ensure a successful resolution of your claim after an auto accident, it is best to have a legal representative present when you talk with the claims adjuster. Should you get a phone call from the insurance adjuster in the days following the accident, you are under no obligation to make a statement orally or in writing. Instead, politely and firmly advise the company representative that you will provide the information they need when you are able.
It may also be in your best interest to avoid discussing the details of the accident with family and friends until you have consulted with a lawyer. Your legal representative can help maximize the compensation amount you receive and help you move forward in the healing process while advising you to avoid admission of fault to any degree.
Obtain Legal Assistance
Highly skilled attorneys have the necessary experience in dealing with industry giants like GEICO to be able to show how others are legally liable for the accident and are financially accountable to compensate all injured victims. These attorneys know how to confidently move forward in filing a claim, dealing with insurance adjusters, protecting your private medical records and pursuing the full amount of financial compensation to which you are entitled. Remember that GEICO has the financial means to hire experts and look for ways to pressure you into accepting their lower offers. However, our highly skilled and successful car accident lawyers with proven track records can help ensure that you have someone in your corner to fight your legal battle and make sure the insurance company’s bully tactics do not prevail.
Contact The Eichholz Law Firm Today
If you or a loved one were the victim of an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, then contact our GEICO car accident lawyers today. Our attorneys have years of combined experience in handling various types of car accident lawsuit cases and will help you through the entire litigation process.
Call 855-551-1019 or fill out an online form for a free case evaluation.