Low Balled on a Farmers Insurance Claim?

I am not a lawyer, the information provided on this site does not constitute legal advice and must not be used as a substitute for the advice of a qualified lawyer. It is provided solely for use as a reference. If you need legal advice, you may wish to consult an attorney. If Farmers offers you an unreasonable amount for your property or pain and suffering (very common!), don’t hesitate to sue them!  If the case warrants hire an attorney immediately.  If you have Farmers or a driver who hits you has Farmers Insurance, I would recommend hiring a lawyer immediately.  It doesn’t hurt to talk with a lawyer to hear your options.  If you are in pain, see a doctor often so you have records showing how long you were in pain.  Here are a couple of starter links for your assistance:

Contact your State Insurance Commissioner
If Farmers Insurance low-balls you, PLEASE file your complaint with your State Department of Insurance AND the Federal Trade Commissioner.  They can help you get your situation resolved and it will go on record that Farmers has a complaint against them.  If that is all you do with this web site, great!! You have done your deed for the day!  Take a stand, be heard!  Do it now!!!  You will make a difference!   

Get a Lawyer and/or Public Adjuster!
United Policyholders: State by State Help
See our Cool Lawyers page and here are some resources to find a local attorney
Martindale.com
RomingerLegal.com

Complain to the Executives
Bryan Murphy - President of Claims (all claims) - (818) 874 1920
bryan.murphy@farmersinsurance.com
Paul Hopkins - CEO Farmers Insurance - (323) 932-3375
paul.hopkins@farmersinsurance.com

General Information
1. After the Accident: What To Do Immediately
2. Before You Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer
3. Mistakes To Avoid Before You Hire A Lawyer

Make sure to see our Colossus section and how to deal with it.

Recommended Reading
Community Assisting Recovery, CARe, is committed to providing cost-free information about disaster recovery, particularly help for consumer's homeowners insurance claims and construction issues, to help property owners rebuild damaged houses and buildings following a natural disaster.
One man who considered taking Farmers Insurance to court over Diminished Value of his car wrote, "I also was so pissed at how the whole thing went over that I typed up a pretty detailed lessons-learned memo talking about how to approach Diminished Value cases (and rental car reimbursement).  It's a long read, because there are so many ways to get screwed" See Diminished Value Lessons Learned and Diminished Value Letter.
The do's and don'ts of working with insurers. Discusses preventative measures, making your claim, where to go for help. Feb 2007 CNN/Money
Consumer Reports: How to make sure your insurance company pays your claims 10/2005
Consumer Reports: What if you need to file an insurance claim? 8/2005
What to do if your car is unfairly totaled
Insurance Consumer Advocate Network (I-can) provides information to consumers to assist them to understand insurance better. I-can is an information "clearing house" consumers, insurance and government agencies that assist the consumer. iCan Personal Injury Claims: Facts and Procedures You Need to Know | Insurance Consumer Tips and FAQs
A few words about claims (CNN Money)
Consumer gets assistance from Department of Insurance to help him with his auto claim. See Post
The Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights: Information about Homeowners Insurance
The Insurance Hoax! This article exposes how property casualty companies have been minimizing claim payouts to claimant with "hardball" tactics designed to wear down claimants. These tactics include data minipulation, over compensated expert witnesses and over zealous claims adjusters who receive bonuses and raises based upon how low they can settle claims. The Insurance Hoax Also see Home Insurers' Secret Tactics Cheat Fire Victims, Hike Profits
Homeowner claims: Increase your payouts. Insurers have several ways of keeping down costs. Here's what you need to know. Farmers Insurance uses Xactimate software designed to help assess financial damages to a home.
Insurers playing rough: Why do insurance companies play rough with legitimate claims? And, more important, what can you do if it happens to you? Farmers Insurance uses Achieving Claims Management Excellence (ACME) and was advised by Accenture. Story
Farmers Insurance also uses Xactware Xactimate
Good article on insuring and how to deal with disaster claim: Insuring your home against disaster

Small Claims Court
If the dollar amount to recover is too low to hire a lawyer, make sure to file a complaint with your Insurance Commissioner then sue Farmers in Small Claims Court.  Locally you can file a small claims law suit for $25 (the max you can recover is $4000).  Just remember that even though Farmers is not the one paying you enough or anything you always sue the client, not the insurance company.  The insurance company will support the client with lawyers and advice, but in the end the insurance company still pays, not the client.  Remember, in small claims, you sue the client, not the insurance company.  Good luck!  (I am not a lawyer, so this shouldn’t be taken as legal advice)

See How to Sue in Small Claims Court and How to File a Claim in Small Claims Court.

ConsumerAffairs.com has information on Small Claims by State. The information includes dollar limit, if attorneys are allowed and a Small Claims Guide.
California's Small Claims Self Help Center

After person is denied claim, attorney recommends Small Claims Court. "The pain became unbearable, a Kaiser physician documented my upper back tenderness and back pain upon flexion. I was prescribed pain medication and a muscle relaxer. I also received chiropractic treatment. Total bill $1,800. Today, I received a denial letter from Farmers Insurance which states, due to the low impact of the accident, they will not honor my medical claim." See Details at: injuryboard.com

Resources to Investigate
This is a list of resources that you can investigate. I am not endorsing any of these resources. I have not used any of these services so I don't know how good or helpful they are. If you decide to use one of these resources, please let us know if you have a positive experience and if the service was helpful. Good luck!

Settlement Central "is a Washington corporation providing general educational information, online, to personal injury victims throughout the United States on how to manage their own personal injury claims throughout the settlement process - from gathering the necessary information (evidence) to submitting claims and demand letters through engaging in successful personal injury settlement negotiations with insurance companies."

Claim Coach "With detailed information about your automobile and the damage incurred, we can provide you with an accurate account of what value range your insurance company should be offering you. That way you can receive the highest quality repair your policy allows. If your vehicle is deemed a 'Total Loss', we will provide a Vehicle Value Report to ensure you receive its fair local market value. With an easy to read report compiled by ClaimCoach using one of the industry's most accepted valuation databases, you will be talking the same language as your insurance claims adjuster when you pick up the phone to negotiate the final insurance settlement."

Safe Collision Repairs Services include Diminished Value Calculations and Post Repair Inspections.

Computer Claims Consulting is a business designed to help lawyer increase case value, and decrease workload. We help lawyers and their clients, by building demand letters for Personal Injury cases, which will be evaluated by insurance claim software. (I don't know if this company works directly with consumers)

Auto Accident Claims "How can you get fairly compensated for your injuries without turning over a third, or more, of your car accident settlement to a lawyer? Retired insurance executive Dan Baldyga shows you how to save hundreds or even thousands of dollars on your car accident insurance claim. Here's a place to get some answers amidst all the chaos."