Geico Auto Insurance Claims

Motor vehicle crashes happen too often, and many of them could have been prevented if other drivers had not behaved carelessly or aggressively. When another motorist’s negligence causes a crash, the injured victims of the crash deserve to seek compensation for their losses. The first step in obtaining compensation is filing a car accident claim. The California Department of Insurance provides information about California laws on car insurance in addition to explaining that California is a “fault” state when it comes to car accident claims. This means that an injured motorist can seek compensation by filing a claim either with his or her own insurance company or with the negligent motorist’s insurance company.

When you begin the process of filing your claim, you should work with a Geico auto accident insurance claims lawyer to ensure that you are treated fairly and are offered the financial compensation you deserve.

When you begin the process of filing a Geico car insurance claim, you will need to decide whether you are filing a first-party claim (through your own insurance policy) or a third-party claim (through the negligent driver’s insurance policy).

In most cases, the claim is filed against the third-party insurance, since it is the third-party who was responsible for the accident. If it is difficult to identify a third-party’s insurance carrier, or the third-party is uninsured, you will likely have to file a first-party insurance claim with your own insurance company, assuming you have the available coverage.

For the property damage aspect of your claim (as opposed to personal injury) a first-party insurance claim means that you will likely get the claim handled more quickly, but you will likely have to pay your deductible up front. Alternately, by filing a third-party claim for property damage, you will not have to pay your deductible, but it may result in a lengthier insurance claims process. If multiple parties were injured in the crash, the negligent party’s insurance limits may mean that you cannot obtain full compensation from the insurance company.

The following are important steps in any Geico auto insurance claims process:

• Obtain as much information about the crash as you can at the scene, including photographs, witness information, and the police report;
• Seek medical attention as soon as possible for your injuries and continue to follow your healthcare provider’s instructions to ensure that you remain eligible for compensation;
• Contact your insurance company as soon as possible—typically within 24 hours after the collision—to report the accident, but avoid providing any information the goes beyond the strict, objective facts of what happened;
• Hire a car accident lawyer with experience with Geico Insurance to work with you on your case and to determine whether you will file a first-party claim or a third-party claim;
• File your Geico auto insurance claim;
• Your lawyer will negotiate with the insurance company to obtain a reasonable settlement offer for your losses;
• Geico either will provide you with compensation, or you can speak with your attorney about the next steps for filing a lawsuit in your car accident case.

If you or someone you love recently got hurt in a car accident and you need to file a car accident claim with Geico, it is extremely important to work with a car accident lawyer on your case. A Geico auto insurance claims attorney at our firm can help to negotiate a reasonable settlement, and we can help you to file a lawsuit if necessary to obtain the compensation you deserve. Contact the Walton Law Firm today for more information.