GEICO Auto Accident Claims in California

The Government Employees Insurance Company—commonly known as GEICO—is the second-largest provider of auto insurance in the United States. GEICO covers over 13 million drivers who operate over 22 million vehicles and has widespread and well-known advertising campaigns often featuring a delightfully anthropomorphic British gecko. Despite the appeal of its commercials and the company’s commercial success, many injured auto accident victims have experienced challenges in receiving adequate settlements for their car accident claims from GEICO. If you need to make a claim with GEICO, it is always a good idea to discuss your situation with an car accident attorney familiar with the GEICO claims process.

GEICO regularly advertises that it saves policyholders “fifteen percent” by spending only “fifteen minutes” by switching their insurance. GEICO also offers perks such as “ accident forgiveness,”¹ which means that your premiums will not increase upon a claim if you have not had an accident in the past five years. However, saving customers money along with an extensive advertising budget close to $1 billion ² means that GEICO often works to save money by limiting liability in injury claims.

GEICO may offer an inadequate amount or may completely deny a claim based on allegations of disputed fault, the severity of injuries, the cause of injuries, and more. An experienced attorney can review your case to estimate the appropriate value and can present evidence and arguments to GEICO to negotiate a much higher offer in your case.

At the Steven M. Sweat, Personal Injury Lawyers, APC in Los Angeles, we regularly assist clients with GEICO claims and settlement negotiations. The following are some examples of our dealings with this insurer:

• Our client was hit from behind by a car while riding his bike on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. The vehicle clipped his handlebar causing him to lose control, fly off his bicycle, and hit the concrete sidewalk with such force that he broke his pelvis. GEICO denied liability due to their allegation that there was no “property damage” to the bike. After we stepped in and obtained statements from witnesses testifying to the client’s account of events, the client was able to have hip replacement surgery and obtain the full policy limits from the driver of $250,000.
• Our client was hit while riding a motorcycle by a driver making a left-hand turn in front of her. GEICO driver claimed that he never came into contact with the motorcycle but, couldn’t explain under oath in a deposition how the client came to loose control of the bike and lay it down immediately after he made a left in front of her. No offers of settlement were made prior to our representation. After conducting an investigation and obtaining evidence proving our theory of liability, GEICO Insurance ultimately paid almost $400,000.
• Our client’s foot was run over by a GEICO insured driver. The insurance carrier tried to claim that vehicle never came into contact with the client and that she “fell down.” Our firm was able to subpoena the medical records which clearly indicated an injury consistent with being run over rather than “falling down.” This auto v. pedestrian claim was ultimately settled for a significant five figure amount.

Though every case is different, contacting an experienced Los Angeles personal injury attorney can greatly increase your chances of receiving the full insurance payout you deserve. Call us today at 866-966-5240 for help.

Read our exclusive 5-part series about auto accident insurance carriers here:

1. Allstate
2. GEICO
3. Farmers
4. Nationwide
5. Mercury

For more information, please see these additional resource pages:

• Car Accidents
• California Car Insurance Accident Disputes

• [1] How will a claim affect my policy & insurance rates?
• [2] GEICO's silly ads are working