Allstate Claims and Settlements Process in Georgia

Written By: The Champion Firm Team

Date Posted: 08.03.18

Category: Personal Injury Car Accident

The Champion Firm is a top-rated, full-service Atlanta personal injury law firm specializing in motor vehicle accidents, premises liability, wrongful death, and medical malpractice. Led by Attorney Darl Champion, The Champion Firm team has successfully litigated and settled over $100 million for clients all across Georgia. No case is too big or too small for us to review – and consultations are always free.

If you have been injured in a car accident and are considering filing a claim with Allstate, please use the following resources to speak with a car accident attorney in your area about your legal options:

 

Below you will find information on how to file a claim with Allstate insurance. If you have been injured in an accident, we highly recommend calling or chatting with our team so we can walk you through your options and evaluate if you should consider pursuing a personal injury claim. Please note, we are not in any way affiliated with Allstate insurance.  

You’ve been in a car accident and after the initial shock wears off, you’re left to pick up the pieces. While you’re trying to recover—all of a sudden—medical bills, missed time from work, and car repairs start consuming your thoughts. How will they be taken care of? Does the other driver have enough insurance? Do you have the right insurance to help cover you if the other driver doesn’t? When you or the person who hit you have auto insurance with Allstate, you want to make sure that when filing a claim and going through the process, you really are “in good hands.” After your accident and when you’re ready to file a claim, you are given multiple options by Allstate to start the claims process. You have the option to call their 1-800-ALLSTATE number, use the Allstate Mobile app, or to contact your agent directly.

Once this process has begun, you will receive a claim number that you will use to track your claim throughout the entire process.

Opening A Claim With Allstate

Once you’ve initially filed the claim, Allstate may contact you to get details about the accident. If Allstate is your insurer, it will likely contact the other driver’s insurance company to compare details of the crash. This helps Allstate and the other insurance provider determine who was at-fault for the accident while taking each driver’s account into consideration.

Georgia uses the modified comparative fault rule when determining fault in automobile accidents. For example, if someone turns in front of you, causing you to slam on your brakes but still inevitably hit them, Allstate may determine that it’s 90 percent the other driver’s fault, but since you were speeding 10 miles over the speed limit, you are 10 percent at fault. The way that this factors into insurance claims is important to understand. Based on the percentage of fault, if any, the insurance company will deduct that ten percent from your determined settlement. However, you may not be able to recover damages if you are 50% or more at fault.

Now that you know the processes, you can understand how Allstate will assess fault based on your experience and the result of their investigation.

Allstate’s Investigation Of Your Claim

The next step is the inspection of the car and assessing personal injury. This involves calculating the damages caused by the car accident and what repairs are needed to fix them. In this stage, there are general damages and special damages. General damages are specified as noneconomic damages like pain and suffering. Special damages are economic losses like property damage, wage loss, and medical expenses. Like many other insurance companies, Allstate uses a computer program to evaluate the amount of damages it owes. Allstate’s computer program, known as the Colossus Program, is well known in the industry and is a frequent source of criticism. The software analyzes your property damage, medical records and bills, and lost wages to determine what was caused by the car accident and to make a settlement valuation.

The most important takeaway from the Colossus software is that makes generalized estimations, based not on your personal experience or your unique situation, but instead based on generally applicable guidelines. It easily leads to under estimation of the appropriate settlement amount and therefore may leave you feeling like you were wronged by the insurance company’s settlement offer.

While we hope insurance companies attempt due diligence in your claim, that doesn’t mean you are being awarded what you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has suffered personal injury from a car accident, you have the right to contact an attorney who can go over your case and determine the proper settlement value. You need to focus on your own recovery and let us take care of the rest. The Champion Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.C., can help you. Give us a call today and let’s get started on getting you the right settlement for your personal injury case.

About the Author

The Champion Firm is a full-service personal injury law firm serving the greater Metro Atlanta area. Our award-winning team of attorneys specializes in car accidents, wrongful death, premises liability, and slip-and-fall cases. Learn more about our team here.