If you’ve been injured in an accident, one of the more difficult tasks afterward is dealing with the insurance company. When State Farm is the insurer you file a claim with, you will wonder how the process works and when you will receive settlement funds from the accident.
Settlement payouts from State Farm after a car accident do not happen overnight. Sometimes, it can take weeks or months to recover a fair settlement from State Farm. There can be many reasons for delay in processing a claim. However, if you believe State Farm has wrongfully delayed the claim or acted in bad faith, you can take legal action through a car accident lawyer in the Tampa Bay area.
Factors Affecting the State Farm Review Process After an Accident
Different factors can play a role in the State Farm insurance claim process. In some cases, the review will be prompt and straightforward. In others, complicating factors can drag out the review.
Some factors include:
- Whether liability is shared by multiple parties
- How the accident happened
- The amount and type of evidence involved
- The amount of coverage purchased by the policyholder
- Whether the victim receives ongoing counseling or physical therapy to treat injuries
- Whether the victim has reached maximum medical improvement (the insurer may need to pay more if the victim has not yet recovered fully).
How Do I Know if State Farm is Acting in Bad Faith?
Unfortunately, delays in processing a claim can happen when an insurer acts in bad faith. This means more than just making a mistake. Bad faith involves intentional delays in processing the claim, acting negligently in handling the claim or misrepresenting numbers to an inexperienced accident victim.
Some common examples of bad faith in a State Farm insurance claim can include:
- Advising victims to handle the claim on their own and avoid legal help
- Misrepresenting coverage, including policy limits and coverage types
- Unreasonable delaying replies to a claim
- Failing to inform the victim of damages
- Misattributing damages to vehicles or other property
- Delaying or refusing to make fair and reasonable settlement offers.
If the insurance company acts in bad faith when handling your claim, you could have grounds to take legal action against the insurer.
How to Get Your State Farm Claim Processed More Quickly
There are ways for a policyholder to help speed up the insurance claim process. Some measures an accident victim can take include:
Contacting State Farm Directly
Call as soon as you are able, and review all information you have before calling. Calls to State Farm are recorded, so there will be a track record of what is said. For this reason, it is important to be honest and accurate with your information. They will want to know details of the accident and injuries you’ve sustained.
Don’t misrepresent facts, withhold key information, or state falsehoods during these calls. If they believe you’ve been dishonest, that can give State Farm reason to delay or deny your claim. Ideally, you will make these calls with a car accident attorney present.
Being Cooperative During the Claims Process
To speed up the claims process, the State Farm insurance adjuster will need your help in analyzing the details of your case. This, in turn, will affect what you can recover in a settlement. If a vehicle has been damaged, for example, you must work with the repair shop to obtain estimates and descriptions of the damage involved.
If the insurance adjuster needs to view your medical records, you will need to schedule appointments and authorize the release of medical information when necessary. However, you should only do this after consulting a Tampa personal injury attorney.
Staying Organized
Keep a record of all discussions with State Farm and all information that you’ve provided or been asked to provide. This will help if the insurer later decides to deny or minimize your claim. If you have to pursue legal action for bad faith by the insurer, your personal file will help prove your claim against the insurer. If you hire a car accident lawyer to handle your claim with State Farm, their office will maintain detailed records and do much of the difficult work for you.
Contact the Tampa Car Accident Law Firm of Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today
As you recover after an accident, you could be faced with many difficult tasks. Dealing with a lengthy State Farm insurance claim does not have to be one of them. Trust an experienced Florida car accident lawyer to present your claim to the insurer and handle their questions during the process.
For more information, please contact the legal team of Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers for a free initial consultation with a car accident lawyer in Tampa. We have convenient locations in Florida: St. Petersburg, Safety Harbor, Clearwater, New Port Richey, and Tampa.
We serve throughout Pinellas County, Hillsborough County, Pasco County, and its surrounding areas:
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers - Clearwater Office
1811 N. Belcher Road, Suite I-1
Clearwater, FL 33765
(727) 787-2500
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers - Congress Ave Office
2360 Congress Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33763
(727) 591-5610
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers - Tampa Office
401 E Jackson St, Suite 3319
Tampa, FL 33602
(813) 686-7588
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers - New Port Richey Office
2515 Seven Springs Blvd.
New Port Richey, FL, 34655
(727) 815-8442
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers - St. Petersburg Law Office
840 Beach Dr NE Suite 202
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 787-2500
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers - Safety Harbor Law Office
202 9th Ave S Suite A-2
Safety Harbor, FL 34695
(727) 787-2500
Mark S. Roman
Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney and Founder
Mark S. Roman is the founder of Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers and a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, a credential held by fewer than 2% of Florida attorneys. A Tampa Bay native, he has practiced throughout Florida since 1986 and founded the firm in 1996 to represent injured people in his hometown.
He earned a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Florida in 1981 and his J.D. from Florida State University College of Law in 1986. Mark is AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell, holds a perfect 10 AVVO rating, and belongs to the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He has served on the Florida Bar Grievance Committee for both Pinellas and Pasco counties, chairing the Pasco committee.
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