Negotiating a Settlement With Farmers Insurance

How to negotiate a fair car accident settlement with Farmers.

Looking to negotiate your settlement with Farmers Insurance after a car accident? Don’t do anything before reading this article! If you’ve been injured, we may be able to do the negotiating for you for no out-of-pocket cost.

Like other insurance companies, Farmers derives a profit by collecting more in premiums than they pay out in claims. They achieve this goal with the assistance of claims adjusters. These employees are responsible for determining whether a claim against their company is likely to win in court, and if so, negotiating a settlement with the injured party in order to try and keep them from hiring a lawyer and filing suit (which would likely result in a much larger payout).

Obviously, insurance companies like Farmers are not looking out for your best interests; quite the opposite is true. Their goal is to pay out as little as possible or nothing at all. They fight claims just like yours every single day, and they know every single trick in the book.

How the process works.

Once you file a claim with Farmers Insurance, they will assign a claims adjuster to your case. The job of the claims adjuster is to investigate all the facts related to the accident and make an effort to settle the claim on their own terms.

If you were uninjured in the accident and only have a property damage claim, the process is fairly straight-forward with little room for negotiation. On the other hand, if you suffered an injury due to the accident, the claims process is entirely different. They may act friendly and empathize with you on the phone, but it’s important to keep in mind that the insurance adjuster has no interest in ensuring the injured party is compensated for their losses; their goal is saving the company money.

One tactic we often see insurance companies employ is to tell the claimant (victim) not to worry, to seek medical treatment, and that they will take care of all of their medical bills if the claimant makes them available to the insurance company. Their goal is to convince you they're on your side (and string you along until it's too late to hire an attorney), then blindside you by only offering to cover a small percentage of your medical bills later on down the road.

Some insurance adjusters will offer the victim a settlement offer before they've even completed medical treatment. They know that you're likely tight on finances right now and eager to secure a settlement, and they know that if they get you to agree to their settlement offer, you're giving up your right to pursue further compensation later on down the road. What if you end up needing additional medical treatment, rehab, or surgery? You should never—under any circumstances—discuss or entertain settlement offers until you finish treatment and have a full understanding of your actual damages.

In addition to your medical bills, your claim could include damages such as lost wages, disfigurement, pain and suffering, prescription medication, a diminished earning capacity, and much more. Before discussing the possibility of a settlement, you must collect the evidence and documentation necessary to prove up your damages, and provide a demand letter detailing the extent of your total damages.

Can I negotiate a better settlement offer?

Now I'm going to say something here that you may not want to read, but trying to negotiate an accident injury claim yourself is almost always a bad idea. While you certainly have the right to try and negotiate a settlement on your own behalf, if you've never filed a lawsuit against Farmers in the past (and won), they simply have no reason to fairly negotiate with you. Simply put, you need leverage.

Accident attorneys exist for this exact scenario; to advocate on your behalf in order to make sure you get every penny you deserve. Your attorney's job is to look out for your best interests and do all of the heavy lifting while you focus on recovering from your injuries.

Contrary to popular belief, most car accident attorneys cost you nothing out of pocket since they only take these cases on contingency. You simply hire them with a signature. If your attorney wins your case or secures an agreeable out-of-court settlement, they earn a fee. If for some reason they do not win you any compensation, you never owe them a penny for the work they put into your case. For more information, call us today at (214) 651-6100 for a free consultation.