After getting into a car accident in Spokane you could have a lot to sort out all at once. You may have to deal with a painful injury and the rehabilitation involved. You may be missing work. You may also be wondering how to keep the at-fault driver and his or her insurance provider from skipping out on the costs of your recovery.
If the person who hit you is covered by Safeco Insurance your frustrations may be just beginning. Big insurance corporations can use delay, deny, defend tactics to get you into a desperate financial situation. Then they turn around and offer you an unfair settlement amount when they know you may be worried enough to accept anything.
Before you get to this point with Safeco agents or any other insurance firm, discuss your case with a local law firm committed to protecting injury victims from predatory practices. An attorney from CCD Law in Spokane can take a vulnerable situation and turn it into a win against an insurance company’s bad faith practices. Contact us for a free evaluation of your case to find out every option you have to get your hospital bills covered and your life back on track.
Safeco Insurance Settlements for Spokane Accident Victims
Selective Auto and Fire Insurance Company of America or Safeco got its start in Seattle and is still headquartered there today. But if you think you get preferential “home state” treatment by being from Washington, think again.
Safeco employs the usual unfair strategies if you are injured by their driver no matter where you live. Insurance companies like to keep you guessing and off-balance during your time in their system. You will never know how far along you are in Safeco’s corporate maze and good luck finding someone other than an inexperienced phone representative to question. It’s a process Safeco has streamlined over the years.
They also won’t tell you how important your compensation claim is when you consider the future. They may want you to sign off on a settlement that covers your emergency room visit, a couple of days of a hospital stay, and a couple of sessions with a physical therapist. It may seem fair to you, but many victims don’t consider the road ahead.
In fact, there are many hardships that should factor into an accident claim that you won’t hear an insurance adjuster bring up. Without an attorney, you probably won’t know every aspect of your accident recovery that can earn compensation. Once a settlement is signed it may be too late to recover any of the support you could need in the months to come.
- Injury Relapse: It may be a month later when your injury starts to hurt again. Soon you have more doctor visits to pay for, more rehabilitation time, and in extreme cases, you could even need surgery. Broken bones can heal the wrong way and need surgery to correct. It’s likely that you won’t be able to return to Safeco to get help with any of these unforeseen costs. That’s why it’s so important to make sure these potential issues are addressed in a settlement. An attorney working on your side can make sure they are.
- Lost hours at work: You may be compensated for a few days that you missed from work while healing, but if the injury returns or there are further complications you may lose multiple paychecks and be out of work for months. That quick settlement with Safeco can run out in just a few short weeks.
- Permanent Disability or Disfigurement: The loss of a limb, paralysis, blindness, brain damage can all be serious consequences that change the course of a victim’s life. These injuries can need a lifetime of care, therapy, and equipment to help you regain your independence. A severe injury can also mean you won’t be able to perform your previous job. You may need new job training. These hardships should all factor into a claim, but often are purposely left out by Safeco.
- Mental Anguish: After a terrible accident, victims can understandably experience bouts of depression and anxiety over the traumatic experience and the injuries that resulted. The event can play over and over in their minds to the point a victim may not be able to get into a car for a long time. That hardship can translate into a need for expensive counseling and even transportation services if a victim can’t bear to get behind the wheel for a while.
Safeco And Bad Faith Insurance Practices
As we mentioned at the top, many insurance companies have adopted the old strategy of delay, deny, defend. It’s been used in the industry for years.
- Delay — First, they put off their response to your claim and keep you in the dark as long as possible. They hope you’ll either give up or that you’ll become so worried over your mounting bills that you’ll accept any offer they put on the table. Having an attorney working with you can scare Safeco off from trying this tactic.
- Deny – Insurance agents can also flat out deny your claim, just to test your resolve. They may know their policyholder was at fault, but still give this a try. They hope you’ll become discouraged and give up. A lawyer will see this trick for what it is and threaten to take them before a judge and jury. This threat is usually enough to get Safeco back to the negotiating table.
- Defend – The option of going to court is becoming increasingly rare in the insurance game. Insurance companies don’t like to pay the expense of a courtroom trial and they are always afraid their unfair practices will get exposed before a judge. They will usually work harder on their settlement offer to find a way to make you happy. If not, your attorney will be ready for a court trial by having evidence and witness testimony at the ready.
For help in dealing with other major insurance providers visit our insurance page. You’ll find further information there on companies like Progressive and Geico.
Contact a Spokane Car Accident Lawyer
In business for over 70 years, Crary & Domanico, P.S. has been protecting victims of car accidents in Washington and Northern Idaho for a long time. If our Spokane Car Accident Lawyers represent you for your accident case, you have our assurance that we will defend you from the tricks insurance companies like to use. Contact us after any accident resulting in a serious injury for a free, confidential consultation and case evaluation. We will only offer you advice that is in your best interest.
