The 5 Steps to File a Car Accident Claim With State Farm

After an automobile collision, follow the following five steps to file a State Farm insurance claim.

1. Exchange insurance policy numbers, photograph the scene, and gather any witnesses’ contact information.
2. Even if you feel fine, go to a doctor to check for any latent injuries.
3. Within 24 hours of the crash, contact State Farm online, through their app, or by calling 1-800-SF-CLAIM.
4. When talking to the representative, be very brief in your description of what happened, and do not admit fault.
5. Contact a personal injury attorney, give them the evidence you compiled, and let them negotiate a settlement to cover your medical bills, lost wages, lost earning capacity, property damage, and pain and suffering.

Our California car accident attorneys will discuss the following in this article:

• 1. What should I do immediately after a car crash?
• 2. Should I call the police?
• 3. Is it worth filing a claim?
• 4. Whose insurance company do I call?
• 5. How do I start the claims process?
• 6. What do I say to my State Farm rep?
• 7. Should I personally negotiate with State Farm agents to resolve insurance claims?
• 8. What if State Farm is acting in bad faith?
• 9. Where do I get my car repaired?
• 10. How can a personal injury attorney help?

1. What should I do immediately after a car crash?

If you were seriously hurt in an auto accident, seek emergency medical care as soon as possible.

If there were only minor injuries, remain at the scene of the accident and collect:

• the at-fault driver’s auto insurance policy number or a copy of their insurance card,
• the at-fault party’s license number, name, and contact information (take a photo of their license if possible), and
• the name and contact information of any person who witnessed the accident.

Then visit an urgent care center or make an appointment with your primary care physician. This is true even if you have no signs of injury. Sometimes serious medical conditions can develop with no initial symptoms.

Also be sure to keep all of your medical records and bills. They will serve as important evidence for your claim.

2. Should I call the police?

You are advised to call the police, even for a minor collision. They will write a police report that will serve as evidence for your insurance claim.

However, police sometimes get things wrong. So while you are at the accident scene, be sure to write down all the information you can, including:

• the year, make, model, and license plate numbers of all the automobiles in the crash,
• your recollection of what happened and what other people involved in the accident said, and
• any other details, such as the weather and road conditions.

Take photos and videos of the accident scene if possible.

If the police do not come to your accident scene, file an accident report with your local DMV.

3. Is it worth filing a claim?

If you caused the accident, it may not be worth going through the pain of filing an insurance claim unless your deductible is less than your damages. Plus, when it is all over, your premium will likely increase anyway.

If someone else caused the accident, going through insurance makes more sense since you do not have to pay a deductible. (Your premium may still go up, but it will not be that much.)

You should also consider filing a claim if there is a dispute as to who caused the accident or if someone sustained an injury. Plus if you carry uninsured/underinsured coverage, your insurance company can cover the damages that the at-fault driver is unable to (up to your policy limit).

4. Whose insurance company do I call?

Most states have a “no-fault” insurance system. This means that each driver in an accident files a claim with their own insurer no matter who was at fault.

In the twelve states with “at-fault” insurance systems, all claims are filed with the at-fault driver’s insurer. These at-fault states are:

1. Florida
2. Hawaii
3. Kansas
4. Kentucky
5. Massachusetts
6. Michigan
7. Minnesota
8. New Jersey
9. New York
10. North Dakota
11. Pennsylvania
12. Utah

If you live in one of these states and were not at fault, you can ask your insurance company to file your claim on your behalf.

5. How do I start the claims process?

You can start a claim by calling one of the following State Farm claim phone numbers: 1-800-STATE-FARM or 1-800-SF-CLAIM (800-732-5246). Alternatively, you can file a claim online or by using State Farm’s mobile app. All methods are available 24/7.

You should file the claim shortly after the accident (hopefully within 24 hours of it). If you fail to report an accident quickly, you may lose your right to file a claim in the future.

If you run into issues, you can call State Farm customer support or use the online chat.

6. What do I say to my State Farm rep?

You usually have to speak with a State Farm insurance claims adjuster early in the claims process to provide basic information such as:

• Your name and policy number,
• Date, time, and location of the crash,
• Make, model, and license plate number of the automobile involved,
• Brief description of the crash, and
• Description of the damages.

Note that insurance agents often fight injury claims tooth and nail (this is true for auto claims, property claims, and claims on a homeowners insurance policy). They look for any reason to deny a claim so that they can boost their employer’s profits.

This means you should be careful in your communications with State Farm. You should avoid giving a rep any reason for denying a claim. Tips for speaking to a State Farm agent/adjuster are for you to:

• not guess or speculate as to facts,
• keep answers simple and do not provide information that an agent did not ask for,
• avoid admitting any type of guilt,
• avoid giving a recorded statement,
• provide honest and truthful answers,
• refuse to sign anything until you consult with an attorney, and
• refuse to let the adjuster downplay your injury or pain.

7. Should I personally negotiate with State Farm agents to resolve insurance claims?

Typically, no. At some point in the claims process, a State Farms claims adjuster may want to enter into negotiations in order to settle a claim.

In simple State Farm auto accident cases, or cases involving mild injuries, you could attempt to successfully negotiate your claims. However, in most cases, you should hire an experienced personal injury attorney to negotiate on your behalf.

Adjusters often use a variety of tactics to avoid paying the full amount of a claim. Attorneys are better situated to spot these tactics and stand up to aggressive adjusters.

Personal injury attorneys are also skilled at detecting when insurance companies are acting in bad faith and violating their duties towards you.

8. What if State Farm is acting in bad faith?

State Farm’s slogan is, “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.” Though if State Farm falls short by violating its duties towards you, you may be able to sue them for damages.

Specifically, insurance companies may not:

• Urge you to settle for less than what you should reasonably expect;
• Misrepresent material facts or provisions of your insurance policy;
• Compel litigation by offering unreasonably low settlement amounts;
• Alter or throw out evidence of how your claim was handled;
• Fail to act promptly, reasonably, or with adequate explanations when handling your claim;
• Fail to investigate your claim in a timely manner or provide reasons why they cannot;
• Deny your claim without a reasonable investigation; or
• Deny your claim without a reasonable basis (which means the validity of your claim is fairly debatable following an adequate investigation).

Your personal injury attorney can help you file a lawsuit against State Farm if necessary, though in most cases your attorney can achieve a favorable resolution by sending them a strongly-worded demand letter.

9. Where do I get my car repaired?

State Farm permits you to get your car repaired at any shop of your choosing, though you are advised to pick one in State Farm’s Select Service Network. These shops:

• provide pick-up and delivery service,
• guarantee dates by which your vehicle will be fixed, and
• offer limited warranties.

10. How can a personal injury attorney help?

Injury lawyers play a critical role when it comes to filing State Farm auto accident claims. They help ensure that you file your claim on time, and they can also manage your ongoing medical care in cases involving serious injuries.

A lawyer helps you gather evidence to discover all liable parties. If necessary, they can appoint experts to help explain this evidence to a judge or jury.

Attorneys can also negotiate a claim on your behalf. In doing so, they can spot and deny lowball offers and settle a case for what it is truly worth. Finally, if State Farm denies a claim, a personal injury lawyer can file a lawsuit against the party that was responsible for causing the accident.