Farmers Auto Insurance Claims

Before a driver can register a car in most states, they need to provide proof of insurance showing that they carry at least a certain minimum amount of liability coverage in case of an accident. In California, the minimum bodily injury liability coverage that you must carry is $15,000 per person or $30,000 per accident. If you are injured in a car accident, and you need to make a Farmers auto insurance claim, you should consult an experienced Los Angeles car accident attorney. At Sharifi Firm, we are experienced in all types of car crash cases, ranging from head-on collisions to rear-end collisions and side-impact accidents.

When there is a car accident, each party to the accident may wish to make claims against the other's liability coverage. It is important for drivers to have enough liability insurance coverage to protect the value of their assets. Otherwise, if a court finds that a driver is responsible for a significant amount of damages, and the driver has personal assets worth at least that amount, such as a home, vacation home, stocks, or vehicles, but not enough insurance, the other driver can pursue him or her in a personal injury lawsuit filed in civil court and recover the damages from the value of the personal assets.

Certain common behaviors can increase the risk of causing a car accident, including distracted driving, drunk driving, speeding, and failing to yield at intersections. In a personal injury lawsuit arising from a car accident, the plaintiff must show that the other driver owed them a duty of care, there was a breach of the duty of care, and the breach caused the accident.

If you report an accident to Farmers when Farmers is your insurer, there is a five-step process followed for the claim. When the claim is received, it is assigned to a claims professional. Sometimes a team of claims representatives is assigned. They will get the facts about the accident, go over your coverage, discuss how the claim will be handled, and schedule an appointment as necessary. The claims professionals can make determinations about whether there is a covered loss, inspect the damage, interview witnesses and other people involved in the accident, take photographs, and evaluate the claim.

In some cases, Farmers will pay what you are owed. In other cases, it may explain that there will not be a payment on the claim and tell you why. If the claim is resolved, it is closed. It must then be re-opened if there are further expenses.

In most cases, you should report an accident to your insurer. It is usually not wise to agree to settle under the table. This is because the other driver may decide to bring a lawsuit against you, and your insurer would have had no opportunity to investigate the property damage or the accident scene, which can put the insurer at a disadvantage in any subsequent lawsuit.

However, it is likely that you will receive a call from the insurance adjuster for the other driver. You should be wary of such a phone call. No matter how friendly the adjuster for the other driver is, the chances are that they are calling you to try to figure out some way in which you were partially or fully to blame for the accident, or in which their insured was not to blame, even if you suffered serious injuries.

California follows the doctrine of comparative negligence. This means that the jury will evaluate the actions of all of the drivers involved. Your total damages will be reduced by an amount proportionate to your degree of fault. For example, if the damages are $200,000, and you are 50% at fault for speeding while the other driver is also 50% at fault for failing to yield, you can recover $100,000. When speaking to an insurance adjuster for the other party, the adjuster will be looking for admissions and other evidence that can be used to build a case against you. Therefore, it is critical to retain an experienced attorney before speaking to an insurer for the opponent.

If you are injured in a car accident and need to make a Farmers auto insurance claim, you should contact an attorney who has handled many of these cases so that you can obtain the compensation that you need. At Sharifi Firm, PLC, our tenacious trial attorneys can provide knowledgeable legal representation. Contact us at (866) 422-7222 or use our online form. We represent clients in cities such as Los Angeles, Temecula, San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga, Glendale, Covina, and Riverside.