If you’ve been involved in a car accident or suffered a personal injury, you may be wondering how to file a claim against the responsible party’s insurance company. If the at-fault driver is insured by Allstate, you may be concerned about your ability to recover compensation for your damages.
This article will provide an overview of personal injury lawsuits against Allstate Insurance and what you should know if you’re considering filing a claim.
What is Allstate Insurance?
Allstate Insurance is one of the largest insurance companies in the United States, with over 16 million policies in force across the country. The company provides a wide range of insurance products, including auto insurance, homeowners insurance, renters insurance, and life insurance.
Understanding Personal Injury Lawsuits
A personal injury lawsuit is a legal action brought by an injured party against the person or entity responsible for their injuries. In the case of a car accident, this may be the at-fault driver or their insurance company. The purpose of a personal injury lawsuit is to recover compensation for the injured party’s damages, which may include medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Dealing with Allstate Insurance
If you’ve been injured in a car accident and the at-fault driver is insured by Allstate, you may be contacted by an Allstate claims adjuster. It’s important to understand that the claims adjuster works for Allstate, not for you, and their job is to settle your claim for as little money as possible.
Don’t Settle Too Quickly
Allstate may offer you a quick settlement to resolve your claim, but it’s important to be cautious about accepting a settlement too quickly. Once you accept a settlement, you will generally be unable to pursue additional compensation for your damages. It’s important to ensure that any settlement offer fully compensates you for your injuries and damages before accepting it.
Hire an Attorney
If you’re dealing with Allstate insurance, it’s highly recommended that you hire an experienced personal injury attorney to represent you. An attorney can negotiate with Allstate on your behalf and ensure that you receive the compensation you’re entitled to under the law.
Common Issues with Allstate Insurance
Unfortunately, dealing with Allstate insurance can be a frustrating and stressful experience for many people. Here are some of the most common issues that people face when dealing with Allstate:
Delayed Claims Processing
Allstate may drag their feet when processing your claim, which can cause delays in receiving compensation for your damages. This can be especially frustrating if you’re facing mounting medical bills and lost wages.
Lowball Settlement Offers
Allstate may offer you a lowball settlement that doesn’t fully compensate you for your damages. It’s important to have an attorney review any settlement offer before accepting it to ensure that it’s fair and reasonable.
Denial of Claims
Allstate may deny your claim outright, leaving you without any compensation for your damages. If this happens, it’s important to consult with an attorney to determine if you have grounds for a personal injury lawsuit.
Past Settlements with Allstate
Below are just a few examples of personal injury lawsuits against Allstate Insurance we successfully resolved on behalf of our clients since 2003. This includes All-state car accident settlements and other personal injury settlements.
$2,100,000 Settlement for Car Accident with All State Insurance
Our attorneys represented a young client who was a passenger in a friend’s car that veered into an obstruction on a neighbor’s lawn. During the auto accident, the car’s airbag deployed and our client suffered an injury to her eye.
Although the defendants claimed our client’s injury resulted from a defective airbag and argued that the driver had performed an evasive maneuver to avoid hitting a dog, the injury attorneys at GJEL established that there was nothing defective about the airbag, and that the injury occurred as a result of negligence and driving at an excessive speed. Allstate ultimately paid $2,100,000 to settle the case.
$250,000 Crosswalk Serious Injury Verdict & Settlement
In this auto vs. pedestrian accident, our client was a 70-year-old Berkeley man who suffered a chest injury when he was struck by a car in a crosswalk. He also experienced back pain in the months following the accident. Accident attorney Jim Larsen ultimately settled the case with Allstate for $250,000.
$300,000 for a Car vs. Telephone Pole
Our client in this car accident case was a passenger in a car on Diablo road in Danville. The driver of the car lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a telephone pole, causing our client to suffer a broken leg and a concussion. Allstate paid $300,000 to settle this case.
$100,000 Award for an arm Injury
GJEL attorneys recovered $100,000 from Allstate in this case for a 70-year-old Berkeley driver who suffered an arm injury in a car accident.
Allstate Insurance News
Here are recent news articles concerning Allstate Insurance.
Allstate Challenges Toyota on Unintended Acceleration
Clash of the auto industry titans! In one corner, we have the embattled Japanese auto giant Toyota, which has recalled nearly nine million vehicles due to alleged unintended acceleration problems. In the other corner is Allstate Insurance Company, which seeks $3 million from Toyota to cover 270 insurance claims Allstate paid that they say were Toyota’s fault.
Allstate’s case against Toyota is very similar to the 100+ cases that have already been filed by motorists who experienced these problems firsthand. “Certain of Toyota’s cars and trucks have a defect that causes sudden uncontrolled acceleration to speeds of up to 100 miles per hour or more,” the complaint reads. It also says that Toyota vehicles are prone to “defective electronics and the absence of a fail-safe, such as a brake-to-idle override system.” Civilian lawsuits against the car company attribute 93 deaths and even more injuries to the mechanical and electrical problems.
The result of Allstate’s lawsuit is likely to have a significant impact for Toyota. If Allstate wins, it could provide the impetus for other insurance companies to file suits. If it loses, it will mark a significant win for the auto company. So far, State Farm and Farmers Insurance have also pursued Toyota with requests that it reimburse certain insurance claims related to recalled Toyota vehicles.
This lawsuit comes amidst steadily improving public perception of Toyota due to a string of reports linking unintended acceleration not to electrical problems, but to driver error. In July, the Wall Street Journal reported that preliminary data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration blamed 60 percent of the accidents investigated so far on driver error. The next month, the Washington Post penned an editorial which concluded that “electronics was not the issue. Human error was.”
Allstate’s lawsuit adds some weight behind consumers, and against those who assume the majority of lawsuits against Toyota are the result of a “me too!” mentality. So far, Toyota is taking a smart approach to the challenge. “We’re very confident that they won’t find any electronic problems,” said the company’s chief quality officer for North America Steve St. Angelo. “However, they may come up with some improvements we can make.”
Why Choose GJEL Accident Attorneys?
If you’ve been injured in a car accident and are dealing with Allstate insurance, you need an experienced personal injury attorney on your side. At GJEL Accident Attorneys, we have a proven track record of successfully representing clients in personal injury lawsuits against insurance companies like Allstate.
Andy Gillin received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California at Berkeley and his law degree from the University of Chicago. He is the managing partner of GJEL Accident Attorneys and has written and lectured in the field of plaintiffs’ personal injury law for numerous organizations. Since 1972 he has been helping seriously injured victims throughout northern California fight & win their personal injury cases. Andy is one of the top awarded & recognized wrongful death lawyers in northern California.