Lawsuit Information Center
Allstate Auto Accident Claims
This page will explore how to handle auto accident claims with Allstate, one of the largest insurance companies globally. Our accident lawyers have dealt with Allstate on thousands of claims and we offer an insiders looks at what to expect when dealing with this company on a claim.
About Allstate
Allstate ranks as the 5th largest auto insurance carrier in the U.S. and the 3rd largest in Maryland. Founded by Sears Roebuck & Co. in the early 1930s, Allstate is now the second-largest personal lines insurer in the country, with its headquarters in Northbrook, Illinois, and regional claims offices nationwide.
Allstate is widely recognized and respected in the U.S., often promoting a positive image with their “in good hands” slogan. However, this favorable image can change when dealing with Allstate on accident claims.
Allstate Claims Process
Dealing with Allstate on auto accident claims can be exhausting and challenging. One particularly frustrating aspect of their claims process is their heavy reliance on the insurance claims software known as Colossus.
Colossus is a sophisticated program that evaluates specific information about a claim and uses an algorithm to calculate a settlement value. It considers factors such as injury type, victim age, and treatment records. Based on this data, the software provides the claims adjuster with a settlement value. This reliance on Colossus often makes Allstate’s claims process feel very impersonal and automated, overlooking the subjective aspects of the claimant and the individual variability in injury responses.
Allstate Tends to Make Reasonable First Offers
Compared to insurers like GEICO and State Farm, Allstate typically makes higher initial settlement offers to third-party injury claimants. We pulled some numbers on Allstate’s first settlement offers in 10 randomly selected auto accident claims that our lawyers have previously handled.
We compared the average amount of medical bills involved in the claim with Allstate’s initial settlement offer amount. We found that Allstate’s average initial offers were about 25% above the medical bills. Although this is a small sample size, it suggests that Allstate’s initial settlement offers usually exceed medical expenses by 10-25%.
While Allstate’s initial settlement offers are consistently higher and more reasonable compared to other insurance companies, rejecting this initial offer often leads to deliberate stalling and stonewalling by Allstate claims adjusters, who aim to pressure claimants into accepting their offer.
Things To Know About Allstate Accident Claims
Below is a list of some key things to know about when you are dealing with Allstate on an auto accident claim, specifically an auto accident claim involving personal injury compensation.
Adjusters Can Be Prickly
More so than any other insurance company, our lawyers have found that Allstate claims adjusters frequently get abrasive and unfriendly if you dare to reject their initial settlement offer on your claim. This is definitely something that is coached into them by management. The Allstate claims team used to have a logo featuring a pair of boxing gloves that were supposed to symbolize how they expected adjusters to deal with “difficult” claimants (i.e., claimants who don’t accept the first offer).
Highest Settlement Ratio
Allstate consistently settles before trial on a higher percentage of their injury claims than any of the other top 5 auto insurance companies. One of the biggest reasons for this high settlement percentage is because Allstate always makes much better initial settlement offers. Even when their first offer gets turned down, however, Allstate’s goal is always settlement whenever possible. We have found that Allstate takes fewer cases to trial than anyone else.
Always Pragmatic
In our experience, a lot of other insurance companies get somewhat combative and tend to dig in their heels if you push them too far in litigation. Allstate never really does this. Allstate adjusters tend to be much more pragmatic and always willing to negotiate and settle a case.
Allstate Settlements & Verdicts
Below are summaries of reported settlements and verdicts in auto accident cases involving Allstate. Many of these cases involve claims for uninsured motorist benefits from Allstate, while others are cases in which Allstate was the insurance company for the defendant in the accident.
$19,500 Verdict (Pennsylvania 2024): The plaintiff reportedly suffered chronic post-traumatic headaches, cervical and thoracic sprains/strain, cervicalgia, and disc degeneration at C5-6 when her vehicle, stopped at a red light, was rear-ended by a motorist who fled the scene. She sought UIM benefits under her auto insurance policy with Allstate. Allstate denied the claim and took the case to trial.
$1,100,000 Settlement (Alabama 2024): The plaintiff was struck in an intersection collision and she suffered a traumatic brain injury and a serious spinal cord injury. The injuries left her non-verbal and unable to move on her own, requiring assistance with all daily activities. She settled for policy limits with the at-fault driver and then settled with Allstate under UIM coverage and another insurance company.
$25,000 Settlement (New York 2024): The plaintiff, a minor, was a passenger in a vehicle that was rear-ended by another vehicle that left the scene of the accident. Reportedly, the police were unable to identify either the owner or driver of the vehicle that fled the scene. Injuries included a right should rotator cuff sprain and knee sprains.
$14,405 Verdict (Maryland 2023): The plaintiff stated that she was driving south near an intersection when the defendant, who was also driving south without his vehicle’s lights on, attempted a U-turn onto the northbound roadway, resulting in a collision. The defendant was insured by Allstate, which chose to take the case to trial due to a legitimate dispute over liability. A jury in Baltimore County ruled in favor of the plaintiff, awarding her $7,125 for past medical expenses, $560 for past lost earnings, and $6,720 for pain and suffering.
$77,918 Verdict (Washington 2024): This case stems from a “T-bone” collision that took place in a parking lot, with the defendant striking the plaintiff while exiting the lot. Allstate was the defendant’s insurance carrier and they contested liability. The defendant claimed that she performed safety checks, however, evidence suggested that she did not notice the plaintiff’s vehicle leading up to the collision. The plaintiff alleged injuries to her neck and back along with persistent headaches.
$12,500 Verdict (Maryland 2021): The plaintiff, a woman in her 80s, suffered cervical and lumbar strains when her vehicle, insured by Allstate, was involved in a collision with an uninsured motorist at an intersection. She made a claim seeking damages under her UIM benefits coverage but Allstate denied the claim on the grounds that she was actually at-fault for the accident. She took the case to trial and won.
Call Our National Accident Lawyers
If you have been injured in an automobile accident and you have a question about your claim, call us at 800-553-8082 or contact us online. We can help you figure out how to approach your claim or if you even need to hire a lawyer.