If you are involved in an accident with a driver that is insured by GEICO or you have GEICO as your own insurance, you should read the information below to maximize your settlement. We put together a quick list of how to handle a claim, what to say and what to avoid saying, what doctors to use and how to navigate the process.
Every insurance company is different and all lawyers have different experience with different insurance companies. GEICO, which is short for Government Employee Insurance Company, started out as an insurance company who only insured government employees. After many years they started insuring the family members of government employees and then finally they started insuring everyone whether you were a government employee or not.
GEICO is a well-established insurance company and they are very smart when dealing with insurance claims.
GEICO Claims Phone Number
If you are involved in an accident in San Diego Call GEICO claims at 800 – 841 – 3000
- When the automated prompts begin tell them you want to make a claim
- When they ask whether it is a new claim or an existing claim tell them it’s a new claim
- If they ask for your policy number tell them you do not have it
- When speaking with the representative make sure you do not say too much and you do not make a statement
- With GEICO the initial representative is not the claims adjuster – although the call may be recorded a statement is not requested at this time.
- If they ask you how the accident occurred be very simple with your explanation
Tips for GEICO Car Accident Cases in San Diego
GEICO handles cases different than some other insurance companies. They are willing to resolve cases and settle them if the case is done correctly. If the case isn’t handled correctly then GEICO will often litigate the cases.
If you have a GEICO case, we suggest you do the following things to maximize the value in your case:
- Go to actual doctors (specialists) and not chiropractors. GEICO knows that chiropractors are not medical doctors and your case will be discounted if you have a chiropractor giving you future recommendations and diagnoses.
- Do not have “gaps in treatment”. The day of the accident you want to see a medical doctor to have everything documented. After that visit you need to see another doctor within the first couple weeks. If you don’t, GEICO will consider this a “gap in treatment” notating that you had a long period of time where you did not see a doctor. They will reduce the value of your case because of the “gap in treatment”.
- See reputable doctors in San Diego and avoid “doctor mills”. GEICO has a presence in San Diego. Often times their adjusters are actually in San Diego (which is very rare in the insurance industry). These adjusters know that there are some doctors that cannot be trusted. If your lawyer does not know any doctors in San Diego, they will likely go to one of these “doctor mills” which have been red flagged by GEICO. This will significantly reduce your recovery.
- If you missed work, make sure you document the days you missed by obtaining pay stubs before the accident and after the accident for the days you missed.
- If the damage to your car is low (under $1,000) make sure to talk with a lawyer before talking to the insurance company.
GEICO Car Accident Lawyers in San Diego
Once a claim has been made an adjuster will reach out. Before talking with them it is a good idea to hire an attorney and below we will explain why. GEICO is notorious for having short conversations with clients and then making them very small offers. We don’t want that. Once the first offer is made in a case it determines a sliding scale for what the next offers will be. For example, if your first offer is $500, then it is likely your next offer would be $750. If your attorney has a long conversation with the adjuster, explaining how the accident happened then maybe their first offer will be $10,000 and then it is a lot easier to go up from there.
At our firm we never accept these first negotiations from GEICO (they could be 1% of what the case is worth) but it never hurts to hear what they have to say and allow them to put money on the table. Once an insurance company agrees to pay something, it is a lot easier to have them pay what is needed at a later time.
Every case is different and we can never promise or predict results. However, at Ozols Law Firm we recently settled a case with GEICO for 1.6 million dollars. We understand how things work at GEICO, we know the high-level adjusters and we know their lawyers. If you have a GEICO case we can certainly help you get the money you deserve.
Underinsured of Uninsured GIECO Claims
If you have an underinsured or uninsured claim with GEICO (this means that the person who hit you has no insurance or low policy limits). Then you will be making a claim with GEICO. We are going to make this very simple for you… In this situation you may think GEICO is there to take care of you because they are your insurance company. This is actually not the case. They are on the other side here and they are trying to get information from you so they can discount your claim. Even though they may seem nice because they are your insurance company and it seems like they are there to help you – they are not. Just know that you should not make a statement and you should give them minimal information because any information you give them, they will use that information against you.
Things to Remember About GEICO Claims
- An attorney can make the initial claim for you
- If you make the initial claim yourself – never admit fault on the phone
- Do not make a statement
- Even if it is your own insurance company – do not make a statement and do not give them the full details of the accident
- Keep all medical records and bills
- Do not engage in their negotiations
- If you are considering hiring an attorney then do a free consultation sooner than later
Feel free to give us a call if you have any questions about GEICO claims here in California