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Filing a GEICO Car Accident Claim in Louisville KY

Your extent of knowledge about GEICO Insurance may be limited to gecko lizards and cavemen. But if you are hurt in an accident by a driver who uses GEICO you may learn more than you want to about their policies and practices.

Lots of people use GEICO and when you drive in crazy Louisville traffic your chances of getting hit by one of their drivers is higher than you think. A poor decision in the lanes may send a vehicle straight into your bumper or into your driver’s side doors. You can quickly be down with an injury that requires expensive care and suddenly be unable to work. How much can you count on GEICO at that point?

Avoiding GEICO Insurance Pitfalls After a Louisville Crash

Under the Berkshire Hathaway Group, GEICO is the second-largest insurance provider in the United States. A.M. Best rated all insurance companies based on net premiums written in 2019 and found that GEICO was approaching 54 million dollars in premiums. That was an 8% increase from the year before.

Needless to say, GEICO makes a lot of money and they do that by not giving out a lot of money. They have many levels of insurance agents all trained to drain the amount of compensation you can expect to see for your injuries in an accident.

You may be in desperate need of help with hospital bills and be missing vital paychecks at work but GEICO will still be playing defense.

One of the easiest ways they can limit the compensation you can expect to see is to devalue your case and discredit you personally. These are some of the most common ways they can accomplish this:

  • A check of your medical files – GEICO adjusters can look into your medical history to see if you’ve had injuries similar to the one you received in an accident with their driver. The two injuries may have nothing to do with each other, but it’s an excuse to subtract money from your potential settlement. If you don’t have legal representation of your own they will usually get away with this ploy.
  • A check of your driving records – GEICO can also look into any past accidents or driving violations you may have had. They have nothing to do with your current accident, but agents can still bring up the past to try to lower your expectations and prepare you to accept a lowball offer. Don’t fall for this tactic.
  • Use your statements – Your attorney will warn you about making statements of any kind to GEICO representatives. If you do they can be used against you later when agents look to discredit you. You may have indicated that your injuries weren’t that bad only to have a doctor tell you that the damage is worse than you thought. It’s greatly beneficial to let your legal representation handle all communication with GEICO.
  • Shift the blame – GEICO may also use your statements to try to show that you should share in the liability of your accident. They can ask leading questions that are designed to get answers making victims look as if they doubt their innocence. GEICO may also accuse you without any evidence just to see if you’ll accept some blame. If they can get you doubting yourself they can greatly reduce the money you may have coming to you.

If you’d like more information on how to handle other insurance companies in Kentucky click here.

How much is my injury worth with GEICO?

It’s hard to pinpoint how much a case is worth until a real investigation into the circumstances of the accident is made by your attorney. One answer is that if you have a serious injury, your claim is probably worth more than what GEICO is telling you.

The at-fault driver’s behavior and level of carelessness or downright endangerment of other motorists can factor in. The severity of the injury and the complications of recovery and rehabilitation can also increase the amount of compensation you see. You may end up with permanent disfigurement or a permanent disability and these lifestyle changes can be hard on victims and their families physically and emotionally. These outcomes can earn much more in a settlement or court verdict.

Needing things like medical equipment and long-term physical therapy can persuade GEICO to up a settlement offer. You may miss months of work and even need to prepare for a new career because your injury makes it impossible to handle your old job.

These extenuating circumstances can increase the amount of compensation victims can expect, and that’s completely fair because of the long list of devastating injuries that are possible in a car crash:

  • Traumatic brain injuries (TBI): Head injuries can cause all sorts of issues for victims including the loss of senses like smell and taste. In more severe cases seizures can be experienced. Permanent memory loss can also occur.
  • Broken bones: In the force of impact bones, even skulls can fracture. Broken bones can be hard to heal and can set wrong and require multiple surgeries.
  • Neck injuries: Whiplash can make sneezing or just turning your head extremely painful. Nerve damage is possible.
  • Soft tissue injuries: The tissue that supports and holds muscles and organs in place can tear leading to an extreme health risk.
  • Airbag and seatbelt injuries: These safety devices can protect your body in a crash, but with powerful impacts, even these aids can hurt you. Airbags can cause lacerations and even explode. Seatbelts can contribute to whiplash and cause bruising.

Contact a Louisville Car Accident Lawyer

After getting seriously hurt in an accident don’t face off with a company like GEICO on your own. You’ll be battling well-trained agents and perhaps even lawyers working for GEICO. You shouldn’t have to fight so hard just to get what’s fair after someone’s mistake left you with an injury, but unfortunately, that’s often what’s required to get your needs met.

Talk to a Louisville Car Accident Attorney you can trust to be on your side and fight for your fair compensation no matter what insurance company is involved. The attorneys at Kaufman &  Stigger, PLLC, have that knowledge and a combined 100 years’ experience in helping clients get the compensation they’ll need to make a full recovery. To discuss your case, contact Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC today, by clicking here to contact them online.

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