Avoid State Farm at all costs!!!

I was in a car accident about three months ago, and the guy who hit me is actually a client of State Farm. I was supposed to have my claim settled by the 16th of this month, but every single time I call their office, it’s either someone is out on vacation or they just give me the runaround saying I'll be paid "next week"... I'm wondering if these thieves pull this same stalling tactic on everyone else, and how it's even possible for this to happen in what we call a "rule of law" country?

Hmm... interest rate hikes?

Maybe you should run that one by your lawyer...

It’s all just one big bureaucratic mess, much like dealing with some massive, soul-crushing conglomerate—you know the type, where they seem to drag their feet just for the sport of it. You can’t just sit back and wait; you actually have to show up in person. My advice? Find the specific individual who signed off on your claim and try to have a civil conversation with them first. If they give you the classic runaround—claiming they aren't in today, or they're off on vacation, or some other tired excuse—don't let it slide. Demand to speak with their supervisor immediately. Don't accept "he's out this week" as an answer. If that fails to move the needle, it's time to bring in a lawyer. There is something about receiving a formal letter on legal stationery, stating that counsel is demanding the agreed-upon settlement within a strict timeframe or face litigation, that suddenly makes these companies find their lost paperwork. Once they realize they'll be on the hook for both your settlement and the attorney's fees plus court costs, they tend to stop playing games.

dustyjackal9 said:Honestly, those big insurance conglomerates always play the same games. They’ll try anything to stall you. My advice? You can't just call; you have to show up in person. Find the specific person who signed your claim paperwork and talk to them face-to-face. If they give you some excuse—like they aren't in today or they're on vacation—don't take no for an answer. Ask for their supervisor immediately. If that still doesn't work, it's time to hire a lawyer. Once they get a formal letter on legal letterhead stating that they're demanding the settlement within a strict deadline or facing a lawsuit—including all legal fees and court costs being tacked onto the payout—things usually start moving pretty quickly...

Is it actually worth suing them, and how long does the process take if you can't settle things another way?

None of my acquaintances have actually filed a lawsuit, though one friend of mine had quite the saga. It had been seven business days past the scheduled payout date when he finally lost his patience. He spent the first two days calling the specific claims adjuster assigned to his case, but after being met with nothing but silence, he escalated things by calling a supervisor. This supervisor kept promising the funds would arrive "today," only to repeat the exact same line when he called back the next day. Eventually, he decided to handle it in person; he actually went straight to the supervisor's office and knocked on the door to make a point. He told them quite bluntly that the deadline had passed ages ago and he was done waiting around—his mechanic wouldn't release the car until the payment cleared, and since he had travel plans, he was simply going to book a flight instead. He made it clear that State Farm would just be footing the bill for the airfare for both him and his wife later on. After that little confrontation, the supervisor promised the money would hit the account the following day, and to his credit, it actually did. (I’m curious how the reimbursement process works for secondary travel expenses if they refuse to pay for the repairs, but clearly, it's an option if they settled the claim once he brought that up.) Another friend of mine dealt with the same endless loop of "it'll be ready tomorrow" until he finally snapped and sought legal counsel. Of course, the lawyer charged his standard fee, but it wasn't a massive expense considering the insurance company was supposed to be covering $26667 in damages for what was essentially a commercial delivery vehicle. The attorney drafted a formal demand letter stating that the funds must be released immediately, or they would face a lawsuit for stalling the claim, along with additional costs for the loss of use of the business vehicle and lost profits. I suppose these situations vary from case to case, but it seems you generally have to show up in person a few times and insist on your rights before even mentioning the possibility of bringing in a lawyer to resolve the mess.

...lawyers are a godsend... 😂 ...they really ought to launch a legal information service... ☕

Now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves—nobody actually claimed that lawyers aren't complete scoundrels, haha. But there is a nuance here. In certain scenarios, you absolutely need to bring a lawyer on board, whereas in others, simply mentioning that you have legal counsel is enough to move things along. Thankfully, companies like State Farm employ some incredibly slick attorneys who are quite skilled at muddying the waters to protect their interests. However, when a claim is straightforward and there isn't any legal ambiguity preventing a payout, those insurance lawyers are well aware that dragging things into court is a losing game they'd rather avoid.

In my situation, things kicked off when someone sent an email over to a board member threatening to go public with some negative press...

😕 Is there actually such a thing as a statute of limitations on insurance claims?
I honestly always assumed the answer was no—but now I’m sitting here feeling incredibly confused by this whole situation.

The statute of limitations on these claims expires three years after the incident occurs.

Using an airline ticket as proof is just nonsense. It's not like his plane got wrecked in the collision.
As for a rental car, that’s only available to people—whether they're corporations, individuals, or small business owners—who have a vehicle officially registered for commercial use... and even then, you have to provide a mountain of paperwork.

Joshua Gray77 said:The statute of limitations for claims here runs for three years from the date the incident occurred.

Honestly, this whole thing about the airline ticket is just nonsense. It’s not like his plane got damaged in the collision.
As for a rental car, that’s strictly reserved for individuals—whether they're corporations, sole proprietors, or freelancers—who actually have a vehicle registered for business use. And believe me, proving all that requires a mountain of paperwork.

Since he’s running a business, he’s essentially losing money every second he doesn't have a vehicle. Naturally, the insurance provider is obligated to cover lost profits—if that's even the right term—provided the payout is delayed past the legal deadline, assuming the claim itself is airtight. Or, he could just claim travel expenses, which usually ends up being a smaller figure than the lost profit route anyway. A private individual, of course, wouldn't be eligible for any of this.

Fixi said:Of course an individual wouldn't be able to claim that.

Actually, they can. A friend of mine works as an instructor at a local driving school, and they compensated him for lost profits based on his average daily rate multiplied by the days he couldn't use the car, plus the damages incurred.

I actually managed to come out of it in pretty good shape... I just had to give them a ring three times over the phone and then follow up once in person at the office.

To be honest, everyone used to warn me about dealing with State Farm.
About a year ago, I was involved in an accident where I wasn't even at fault—it was actually one of State Farm's own clients who caused the mess. I fully expected a grueling, uphill battle with them, but it turns out the real headache was going to be navigating the police reports and the legal system.
Fast forward ten months after all the chaos, and I finally submitted my claim for damages. Within just a few days, they sent over their initial offer, which was frankly underwhelming. I decided to bring in a lawyer, though she did give me a bit of a reality check, suggesting I shouldn't get my hopes up too high since we were dealing with State Farm. It’s true that it took them about four weeks to get back to me, but eventually, they bumped up the settlement to a figure I was actually happy with. I signed off on the deal, and about twenty days later, I gave them a call, only to be told the funds should hit my account by next week...
I’m really hoping I won't have to spend my time playing phone tag or chasing them down, because so far, they've actually managed to pleasantly surprise me despite my initial skepticism!

Allstate and GEICO are actually part of the same group. They have another insurance firm under the same umbrella too, though I can't recall the name right now.
Bottom line, it’s nothing to be shocked about. Back when a guy worked for GEICO, his way of calculating things felt like he was paying out of his own pocket. Absolutely insane.
God forbid.
The thing is, nobody thinks that way when they're signing up for basic coverage. They save that mindset for the comprehensive stuff.

I’ve been locked in this endless legal tug-of-war with them for years now—even after winning the initial judgment, they just keep dragging it out with endless appeals and procedural loopholes... and honestly, the lawyers they employ? They’re even worse than the company itself.

I had comprehensive coverage through them once—used it just one time for a minor fender bender ($667)—and everything went through without any issues at all.

I’ve been riding with State Farm for a while now, already on my second collision coverage plan—first one was around 4,000, now we’re looking at about $10—and honestly, I haven't run into a single issue. 😁

I finally ditched GEICO this year, thank God!
So, about two months before my last registration, I got into this fender bender with my car—nothing crazy, just some property damage worth maybe $1,500.
When I went to register the car, they immediately slapped me down as the at-fault driver and tanked my bonus to 35%.
Then, when I tried to switch providers this year, every single other company kept flagging me as the one at fault (dropping my bonus to 20%), except for GEICO...
To actually switch over, I had to trek all the way to their main headquarters in Chicago just to beg for a piece of paper proving I didn't cause any accidents last year. Once I had that paper in hand, I could finally get a different policy.

And hey, guess what? My bonus is back up to 40%!

wanderingscout13 said:I was involved in a car accident about three months ago, and the driver who hit me was a client of State Farm. My claim was supposed to be settled by the 16th of this month, but every single time I call their number, it’s either "everyone is on vacation" or they give me the runaround saying my payout will happen "next week." Is it just me, or do these thieves pull this stalling tactic on everyone? How is this even possible in what we call a "rule of law" country?

Man, I feel your pain! About seven years ago, I was sitting in line at a red light when some guy in a moped comes flying out of nowhere and slams into my rear end. That guy was insured through Mediterranean, which is now State Farm. We filled out the standard American Accident Report, and the man signed it without hesitation, admitting he hit me from behind. I even took photos of both vehicles right there at the scene. Unfortunately, I didn't have a cell phone back then, so I couldn't call the police immediately. It happened over on Broadway in NYC—I honestly thought a patrol would pass by soon. Instead, all I got was a roadside assistance truck appearing out of thin air.
Anyway, since State Farm refused to pay out the claim, I had no choice but to sue them. It’s been dragging through the court system ever since, and I'm still footing the bill for all the expert assessments. It feels like it's never going to end!
😠