Anyone who’s watched TV during the past decade has seen commercials featuring a talking gecko, comedic cavemen, or an announcer advising that you “switch to GEICO—it’s what you do.” Using one of the largest corporate advertising budgets in the United States, GEICO—Government Employees Insurance Company—has skyrocketed in size to become the second-largest auto insurance provider in the country, with more than 15 million drivers as policyholders. If you’re in a crash, there’s a VERY good chance that you’ll be filing a claim with GEICO.

As with any insurance claim, you NEVER want to go into a claim with GEICO on your own without the proper legal tools. Most people assume that GEICO is a consumer-friendly company—largely in part to their commercials—but GEICO doesn’t bring in billions of dollars each year through generously paying valid claims. Instead, GEICO is run by shrewd business executives who know how to make a profit. This means making a profit involves reducing the payouts to deserving claimants!

If you need to file a claim with GEICO, call a law firm that has successfully handled HUNDREDS claims with GEICO in the past—and has insider knowledge of how this company handles their claims. The legal staff of Stewart J. Guss, Attorney at Law, are extremely familiar with the GEICO claims process. Our team of lawyers and legal professionals are here to help injured auto accident victims through this process. Please contact our office today at (800) 898-4877 or contact us now by CLICKING HERE. Remember, you don’t pay us until we’ve WON your case, so you have NOTHING to lose by calling us now!

SECRET #1—NEVER GIVE THEM A RECORDED STATEMENT!

It is almost standard procedure these days for insurance adjusters to ask that you answer questions or give a statement about the accident while being recorded. Know that you DO NOT have to do this and our attorneys STRONGLY ADVISE against it. While they record you, you could make an offhand comment that they will later use to reduce or deny your claim. An adjuster can also try to get you to hastily agree to settle the claim right away, which they can spin, and fight as a legally binding agreement! Once you realize the settlement Offer is way too low to cover all your losses, you could end up stuck with that amount because of your verbal agreement.

Also, be aware that GEICO adjusters may record you without even asking first! While you may assume this is against the law, it may shock you to learn that in many states, only one party needs to know about a recording to make it lawful. This means that you could think you were simply answering questions informally when in reality, the adjuster recorded you. ALWAYS take the greatest of care in what you say to adjusters, and keep your responses it to a minimum. Instead, call an attorney who knows what to say and what not to say during an insurance claim.

SECRET #2—YOUR MEDICAL BILLS MAY NOT MATTER!

When you submit your medical bills to GEICO, you probably expect that they will simply add up the totals and offer a payment that covers them. However, GEICO is one of many companies that often ignores the actual amounts of your medical expenses and instead replaces it with what they call “usual and customary charges.”

“Usual and customary charges” means that GEICO bring in medical professionals who then decide whether your expenses were usual and customary for the type of treatments you received in the area you received it. GEICO may then base a settlement offer on this amount—even if it is much less than you actually owe.

If this seems unfair—it is! The right law firm can present its own evidence that your expenses were in line with usual and customary medical practices in your region and that you deserve the full amount covered.

SECRET #3—THEY WANT YOU TO ACCEPT THE FIRST OFFER!

This might not be a “secret,” since almost everyone in negotiations wants the other party to accept the first offer. However, GEICO adjusters work hard to make sure you accept the first offer without realizing it is a BAD IDEA. The following are some reasons why you should NEVER accept an offer without first reviewing it with a lawyer:

• The first offer is usually EXTREMELY LOW
• If you accept an offer for quick payment, you may later realize your injuries were worse than you thought and you may have many additional expenses
• Once you accept an offer, the settlement agreement includes a waiver of your rights to seek additional money from this accident, including expenses that continue to pile up after you agree to the settlement
• GEICO adjusters will try to convince you that accepting an offer is in your best interests. This is usually NOT TRUE. Our attorneys will review any offers and provide knowledgeable advice based on our evaluation of your claim.

SECRET #4: GEICO’s TRICKY WAY TO JUSTIFY ITS LOWBALL OFFERS

One thing you may never think of is that GEICO may actually try to purchase your hospital lien. This may sound like a good thing—but GEICO buys liens for much less than they are worth. GEICO then uses the purchase price as the “true” amount of your bills—even though they were originally much higher. For example:

• You owed $40,000 in medical debt
• GEICO purchased your lien for $10,000
• The GEICO adjuster now bases your settlement offer on the $10,000 amount

If you go to court, the jury only sees the $10,000 in bills, and likely assumes your injuries were less serious than they were, awarding you much less for pain and suffering.

Without a lawyer, there is little you can do to stop this from happening. The right lawyer will have methods of preventing this from happening to preserve the full amount of your claim!

Contact an Auto Accident Attorney Who Knows How to Handle Your GEICO Claim!

The nationally recognized team of attorneys and legal professionals at Stewart J. Guss, Attorney at Law, are ruthless when it comes to taking on insurance claims—including those with GEICO. For more than 20 years, we have gone to bat for our clients, the necessary tools to protect your rights both during the insurance process and, when necessary, in court.

Because we take all of our personal injury cases on a contingent fee basis, you will not owe us a DIME unless we win your case. We’re available 24/7 to discuss your case evaluation, so call us today at (800) 898-4877 or contact us now by CLICKING HERE.