After any car accident where you have suffered injuries, you should get legal help to confront the insurance company, especially when it’s Progressive. Legal representation can help you recover a higher settlement with less stress.
Our car accident lawyers in Atlanta from John Foy & Associates explain how you can negotiate a fair settlement with Progressive with our assistance. Read on to learn about the tactics to watch out for and a guide on how you should approach Progressive.
What Is it Like Negotiating With Progressive For a Car Accident Settlement?
Compared to other insurance companies, Progressive is more aggressive in offering lowball settlements, which means their first offer is likely to be significantly low. According to J.D. Power’s 2023 U.S. Auto Claim Satisfaction Study, Progressive earned an 870 out of 1,000 for how happy customers were with how their auto accident claims were handled.
Another reason for this ranking could be the variety of other tactics insurance companies like Progressive use after an accident. Some of the most common tactics include:
- Overly relying on computer programs like Colossus to evaluate claims which may undermine fair individual assessments.
- Failing to individually analyze pain and suffering claims, instead issuing standardized lowball offers.
- Undervaluing injuries and long-term impacts to pressure early claim settlements.
- Narrowly interpreting policy coverage and denying claims due to minor technicalities.
- Hiring medical examiners with histories of siding with insurance companies over policyholders.
- Delaying or denying claims without clarifying coverage with policyholders beforehand.
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How Should You Approach Progressive?
Despite Progressive’s convincing commercials featuring the insurance company’s charming character, Flo, it’s not easy going up against the company after one of their customers has injured you in an Atlanta car accident. Here’s how to approach Progressive:
Hire an Atlanta Car Accident Attorney
You should never talk to the insurance company without a lawyer present. One of our Atlanta car accident lawyers can be your advocate by helping you through the negotiation process. We can:
- Analyze your full claim to identify all sources of compensation.
- Gather medical records and objectively assess the extent of injuries.
- Inspect vehicle and property damage to document claim scope properly.
- Challenge any unjust liability denials or premature conclusion of claims.
- Cite applicable insurance statutes that require fair claim handling.
- Leverage our legal experience to negotiate confidently with Progressive adjusters.
- File formal legal proceedings like arbitration or lawsuit if needed.
- Work with medical experts to undermine any biased independent exams.
- Prevent unfair settlements by understanding long-term injury impacts.
Know They Are Not Your Friend
The Consumer Federation of America reveals its findings from the insurance company’s earnings report, showing how it really values its customers. In short, their target customer is someone who chooses bundles instead of just having their auto insurance. They refer to these people as “The Robinsons”.
Even though you are not their customer, this can be a good thing to keep in mind since their client is. They will typically fight harder for them to keep their business, which means less of a settlement for you. But our Atlanta car accident lawyers, we’re ready to fight even harder.
When meeting with Progressive to negotiate a settlement after a car accident, it’s important to keep in mind that they are not working in your best interests. They are trying to settle your claim for as little money as possible.
Progressive knows that injured people want their claims resolved so they can focus on recovering without financial worries. They will try to use this against you by pushing for a quick, low settlement.
How Can You Increase Your Chances of a Fair Settlement?
In addition to hiring a car accident lawyer, there are actions you can take to increase your chances of receiving a sufficient settlement. Some things you can do are:
- Thoroughly document all injuries, treatments, lost wages, and other expenses. Provide organized records upfront to strengthen your claim.
- Choose reputable medical providers and get appropriately treated. Progressive may try dismissing providers, so having trustworthy support bolsters your case.
- Cooperate fully with Progressive’s process, but avoid giving unnecessary statements that could undermine the value of your claim.
- Remain calm and avoid hostile communications when interacting directly with adjusters. An amicable tone maintains leverage, whereas anger may backfire.
- Request settlement evaluation meetings be recorded or take notes. Details are easily forgotten or misconstrued, so additional records help.
What Are Your Options If Progressive Doesn’t Offer You a Fair Settlement?
Unfortunately, a lot of the time, Progressive won’t offer you a car accident settlement that covers all of your losses. But that doesn’t mean the legal process is over; it’s just the beginning. Our Atlanta car accident lawyers can help you by:
Suing Progressive
If Progressive offers you a lowball settlement and is unwilling to go higher, we can file a lawsuit against the insurance company for bad faith practices. Suing the other driver’s insurance company is common and often yields favorable results. Taking legal action against Progressive means that we take your case to court and fight for you.
Our team has over 20 years of experience advocating for our clients. You don’t have to worry if we take your case to court because we’ve been in the courtroom since 2003.
Filing a Lawsuit Against the Liable Party
Another option you have, if the at-fault party’s Progressive representative doesn’t offer you a fair settlement, is filing a lawsuit against the driver who hit you. We’re ready to help you gather additional evidence of your losses and injuries.
An Atlanta car accident lawyer from John Foy & Associates can help you determine which option works best for your situation. To do this, we can give you a free consultation.
Learn More About Negotiating With Progressive After a Car Accident
Progressive is a tough insurance company to negotiate with, and that’s why our car accident attorneys in Atlanta are ready to help you. At John Foy & Associates, when you get The Strong Arm, you get results.
Contact us today to learn more about how our team can help you.
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