Lakeland Liberty Mutual Claims Lawyer

If you have been injured or suffered property damage in a Lakeland car accident or Lakeland personal injury accident, you may qualify to pursue a claim for compensation. However, when it comes to filing claims with Liberty Mutual or any other insurance company for that matter, there is usually more than meets the eye. Liberty Mutual is one of the biggest insurance companies in the US but as with most insurance companies, the company owes its first allegiance to its bottom line. Even if you are a policyholder with Liberty Mutual, you should be prepared to fight tooth and nail for fair compensation when filing a claim. If you are contemplating filing a Liberty Mutual claim, there is a lot you should know about the process and what you should do. Our Lakeland Liberty Mutual claims lawyers provide guidance here on what it is like to deal with Liberty Mutual and what you can expect from the claims process.

What is it like to deal with Liberty Mutual?

Liberty Mutual is the fourth-largest insurance company in the US with more than 800 locations in over 18 countries worldwide, there’s no doubt that the company is as big as they come. Like most insurers, Liberty Mutual sends a message of steadfast competence and utter dependability, and it prides itself on taking responsibility. However, once again, like most insurers, Liberty Mutuals’ actions rarely match its message. The company, alongside most major insurers, has been known to low-ball claimants, including its policyholders, and will do its best to pay you as little as it legitimately can on your policy. The company has been sued multiple times over several actions, including denial of legitimate claims and underpayment of settled claims. A recent example is the 2019 class-action lawsuit, where Liberty Mutual was sued for paying less than the full value on total loss claims by auto insurance policyholders. The company allegedly failed to include state and local title transfer and vehicle registration fees in the total loss claims it paid out. Apart from this, the company was also notoriously included in a report by the American Association for Justice, naming the Ten Worst Insurance Companies in America. The report indicated that the company has systematically lowered its settlements amounts year after year (as against increasing inflation) and actively adopts a deny, delay and defend policy. The simple truth is that dealing with Liberty Mutual is unlikely to be easy. You must be prepared to fight hard for the compensation you deserve.

What are the steps you must take immediately after your accident?

Filing a successful claim with Liberty Mutual, or any other insurance company will often depend on laying a solid foundation for your claim. Doing this will typically depend on taking certain specific actions in the aftermath of your accident. This includes:

• Seeking and obtaining medical attention immediately after the accident.
• Obtaining a police report. Call 911 immediately after the accident to get law enforcement on the scene. The police officer will typically make a report of the accident. Be sure to ask for a copy.
• With your mobile phone, take pictures of the accident scene and record a video if you can. Try to capture the damage done to both vehicles, skid marks on the road, and the general surroundings of the scene.
• Speak to witnesses if you can and collect their contact information.
• As soon as you can, write down all you can remember about the accident. This lets you maintain a coherent account of the event.
• Speak to a Liberty Mutual claims attorney as soon as possible.
• Contact your Liberty Mutual insurance agent soon after the accident, if you are a policyholder with the company.
• Be sure to keep contact with the insurance agent to the bare minimum. Relate the facts precisely as they are, do not share any opinions you may have on the accident.
• Do not sign any documentation or agree to anything until you have spoken to a Liberty Mutual claims attorney.

What is the process for filing a Liberty Mutual claim?

The process of filing your Liberty Mutual claim starts with contacting the insurance agent. They should typically inform you of what you need to do, to begin with, your claim. Most insurers usually encourage policyholders and other claimants to take advantage of their electronic channels for their claims process. You can start with the Liberty Mutual Claims Center here.  You may also file the claim by sending a paper document with supporting documentation attached or submit your claim by phone, email, or through their mobile app. Regardless of which medium you choose to file with, keep in mind that you will be required to provide certain information.  If you have reservations about filing the claim yourself, contact the Liberty Mutual claims attorneys at Dismuke Law for assistance.

What information do you need to file your claim?

In order to ensure your claim is processed in a timely manner, you must be prepared with all the relevant information that will be required. This includes the following:

• Your insurance policy number or, if you are filing a third-party claim against another driver, the driver’s name and insurance policy number.
• A copy of the traffic crash report.
• Contact information of all passengers involved in the accident, if there were any (usually in the traffic crash report).
• Contact information of all witnesses that were at the scene of the accident (usually in the traffic crash report).
• Documentation and evidence you have from the scene of the accident, including any video or photos you have from the scene.
• Wage loss information, as well as documentation from your health care providers regarding your restrictions due to the traffic crash.
• Comprehensive information and documentation about your injuries from the accident, including medical records and bills.
• Details of other losses you suffered from the accident, such as vehicle damage.

What happens after you file your Liberty Mutual claim?

A claim number will be assigned to your claim immediately after filing. This number serves two purposes. First, it facilitates the internal processing of your claim within the insurance company and distinguishes it from the thousands of other claims they routinely receive. Second, it enables you to track the progress of your claim whenever you need to. Once your claim is filed, the company will typically assign the claim to a loss adjuster who will proceed to investigate your claim. The investigation will sometimes include a visit to the scene of the accident and speaking with any witnesses you provided. They may also want to inspect the damage to your vehicle. Sometimes, the loss adjuster may call you up, asking you to provide a recorded statement as part of the claims process. Do not give a recorded statement without first speaking with a Liberty Mutual claims attorney. The loss adjuster will try to trip you up with leading questions and will try to elicit responses that may damage your claim.

When should you contact a Liberty Mutual claims attorney?

Ideally, this should be one of the first things you do in the aftermath of your accident. Insurance companies are usually happier to deal with claimants that do not have an attorney representing them. This emboldens the insurers, and they will try to rush you into accepting a low-ball settlement offer. Click here to understand better what your case is worth. Don’t be fooled, though. The settlement offer will typically be significantly lower than what you deserve, and if you accept the offer, you will effectively be relinquishing all your rights to complain. It is best overall to contact an attorney before you begin the claims process.