Are you expecting a State Farm personal injury settlement or wishing you had a State Farm Settlement Calculator?
There are many insurance companies out there to choose from. One of the most popular is State Farm. State Farm provides car insurance as well as other forms of insurance to its customers. You’ve probably seen their commercials: they show State Farm policyholders summoning their State Farm agent with a catchy jingle.
When you are dealing with personal injury, whether that be a car accident or something else, you are dealing with an insurance company. No matter how much State Farm might tout customer service as its main goal, it is a business like any other. It needs to make a profit to stay alive. If you are trying to collect a State Farm personal injury settlement, they will do everything they can to pay you as little as possible.
With an experienced Shreveport personal injury attorney like Joseph Greenwald, Jr., you can get what you deserve, even from an insurance giant like State Farm. In this post, personal injury experts at the Greenwald Law Firm will answer all your questions about what to expect from a State Farm personal injury settlement.
State Farm Personal Injury Settlement Calculator
Before we dive too deep into what you can expect from a State Farm personal injury settlement, let’s do a quick rundown of the personal injury settlement process.
It all starts off with an injury. It can be in a car accident or some other kind of accident, but you have sustained a costly injury. You have medical bills, and you may have to miss work.
When you sustain injuries like this due to the negligence or recklessness of another person, you probably have grounds for a personal injury claim.
You don’t technically need an attorney to file a personal injury claim with the other party’s insurance. You can write a personal injury demand letter yourself. But with an attorney like Joseph Greenwald, Jr., you can always be sure you have the right paperwork you need. An attorney will also be able to give you a good estimate of possible damages.
Greenwald would then present evidence to the insurance company that their client is responsible for your injuries, as well as the amount of damages you are asking for. Then, the insurance company will try to haggle down the price, while your attorney will try to achieve the maximum damages for you. This will continue until the two parties arrive at a suitable number.
Sometimes, if the two parties cannot agree, the case will go to court. In cases like these, attorney Greenwald can represent your interests there as well.
How to Negotiate An Injury Claim With State Farm
Now that you know a little about the personal injury claim process, let’s get down to brass tacks of a State Farm personal injury settlement.
If you sustain an injury in a car accident, or if you have property damage, you may end up filing a claim with State Farm. But like all companies, State Farm has to turn a profit. This means it has to take in more money through insurance premiums than it pays out in claims.
For this reason, the insurance adjuster assigned to your case will try to get you to settle quickly and settle for as little as possible. Often, big insurance companies like State Farm use computer programs to determine a “fair” settlement for a case. They know that the more of a financial bind you’re in, the more likely you will accept the first number they give you instead of waiting for a higher settlement.
Despite this, it is possible to negotiate with them, especially with an attorney by your side. If you’re willing to wait a short while, especially.
There are a few steps you and your Greenwald Law Firm attorney will follow when negotiating with State Farm. These steps are as follows:
Document as Much as Possible
If at all possible, you should take your own photos of the car accident. You should also make sure you have photos of the damage to your vehicle as well as photos of your injuries.
Sometimes, an insurance adjuster won’t see the damage or your injuries until days after. During that time, your injuries might begin to heal, or you may have done some minor repairs on your car.
By taking pictures as soon as the accident occurs, you will have proof of the accident’s severity. We can use these photos to win a much higher settlement.
Determine a Minimum State Farm Personal Injury Settlement Amount
If you don’t know what you want and you don’t know what you need, it’s pretty hard to negotiate your side. This is where an attorney comes in handy.
An experienced Shreveport attorney like attorney Greenwald can help you determine how much your claim is really worth. There are a few factors that determine what your claim may be worth. Some of these factors are:
- How much did you pay in medical bills and repair bills?
- Did you miss time from work? If so, how much?
- What other losses or expenses did you suffer?
Tally these up with your attorney and present it as a settlement amount. You can probably expect State Farm to reject this initial offer. But don’t feel compelled to accept their counteroffer if it’s too low. Again, your attorney can tell you what is and isn’t a fair amount.
Keep Your Story Straight
When State Farm questions you, they may try and get you to change your story to justify giving you a lower settlement amount. Don’t let them confuse you. It’s helpful to write down a narrative of exactly what happened, soon after the accident. Once you write down that narrative, stick to it, and don’t waiver.
As your attorney, Joseph Greenwald Jr. can help you prepare adequately for any questions State Farm might ask you, and get you an adequate State Farm personal injury settlement.
Waiting for a State Farm Personal Injury Settlement? Call the Greenwald Law Firm
The Greenwald Law Firm has been serving the Shreveport-Bossier area for decades. If you or someone you know is dealing with insurance companies over a personal injury claim, call us at 318.219.7867. You can also leave us a message to request a free consultation.
