In the Pacific Northwest, it’s hard to avoid the ever-present PEMCO Insurance ads everywhere. The company offers up some pretty funny commercials and plenty of signs around Spokane. The serious business of car accident coverage is where you may get a different view of the Washington based insurance provider.
You could be in a serious accident caused by a PEMCO driver and be forced to enter the maze that earning compensation from an insurance company can be. Getting you help when you’re injured should be the first priority of any insurance firm. Sadly, that may be the last thing on an insurance agent’s mind. They may be more concerned with how to get you out the door with as little expense to PEMCO as possible.
Potential Issues with PEMCO Accident Claims in Spokane
PEMCO or Public Employees Mutual Insurance Company serves only Washington and Oregon residents but is still the largest insurance provider in the Northwest. They got their start in Seattle and are still based there, but when it comes down to it, they behave like any other giant Insurance Corporation.
Their strategies are the same as State Farm’s or Allstate’s when an injury victim comes to them for help. That means they can employ several tricks of the trade instead of getting you the compensation you need.
There are several ways they can act in bad faith towards you after you’ve been a victim of their policyholder’s mistake on the road.
These are just a few of the odd behaviors you may see when you’re forced to go through PEMCO for compensation after you’ve been hurt in a collision:
- Failure to promptly investigate a claim. You could be on the verge of defaulting on hospital bills and your car payments and rent as you recover from an injury. Yet, PEMCO may take months to get to your case. They may apologize and say they’ve just got too many claims to file, but they’re actually just trying to get you more desperate so you’ll accept a lowball offer. An attorney can call them out on this shady practice.
- Wrongfully denying a claim. If PEMCO doesn’t think you have a legal expert in your corner they’ll just deny your claim for no reason. They may know that their case wouldn’t hold up in court, but they’re hoping you won’t know that and that you’ll just give up. They may also use complicated fine print applying to their policy to throw out your claim hoping you won’t understand the legal language and realize you’ve been ripped off.
- Test your resolve with the threat of a trial. Insurers may not make you a fair settlement offer and essentially dare you to take them all the way to court. You don’t have to worry though. PEMCO doesn’t want your case to go before a judge any more than you do. If they see you have a lawyer on your side preparing evidence and lining up witnesses for a trial, they’ll usually back down and extend a fair settlement offer.
These are just some of the confusing games an insurance company can play. These crazy games come as you face bankruptcy and damage to your credit score all while you try to heal from an injury in an accident you weren’t to blame for. It can be frustrating. The good news is that an attorney working on your case can deal with every trick and handle all communication with these so-called insurance professionals.
What kind of things can I earn compensation from PEMCO for?
The first thing to know is that in Washington injury victims have up to three years to file a lawsuit against PEMCO. A three-year statute of limitations seems like plenty of cushion to get things taken care of, but you actually want to move as quickly as possible. The longer you procrastinate the harder it will be to collect evidence, locate documents and track down the witnesses you talked to at the scene of your accident. You’ll also want to get a claim onto a PEMCO desk as soon as you can in case they later try to stall.
If you and your attorney are successful in your claim you can expect compensation for many of the difficulties you’ve faced in the aftermath of your accident:
- Medical Bills (Past and Future)
- Rehabilitation (Past and Future)
- Vehicle Repair
- Travel Costs
- Lost Wages at Work
- Future Loss of Income
- Permanent Disability
- Loss of Quality of Life
Contact a Car Accident Lawyer In Spokane
After getting seriously hurt in an accident through no fault of your own, Contact CCD Law to talk to an experienced Car Accident Lawyer serving victims in the greater Spokane area and Northern Idaho. You’ll receive a free, confidential consultation. It’s a great way to learn the skills you’ll need when facing an insurance company like PEMCO.
Established in Spokane in 1948, Crary & Domanico, P.S. is committed to providing our clients with the absolute highest quality legal representation. If our Spokane Car Accident Lawyers represent you for your accident case, you have our assurance we’ll fight for every last bit of compensation that’s fair for what you’ve been through.
