Secrets of State Farm Insurance: Exposed
State Farm is one of the nation’s largest auto insurance companies, holding nearly 100 million policies covering auto, home, life, health, and other insurance services. However, people who file State Farm insurance claims often see them transition from a “good neighbor” to an adversary almost overnight.
This article will explore the strategies and tactics State Farm uses to minimize payouts, delay settlements, and protect their bottom line—often at the expense of the very policyholders they claim to serve.
Profit Above Everything: A Partial List of Insurance Company Tactics
It would be nice if State Farm was a nonprofit entity whose purpose was to ensure that you receive fair compensation. If you want that, however, you’re going to have to file a claim with a charity, not a private insurance company.
As a for-profit company, State Farm’s interests are 180 degrees adverse to yours. The more money you make, the less they get to keep, and vice versa. Although that much should be obvious, State Farm advertising conceals this by singing about being a “good neighbor.”
Here are some of the tricks they might try on you if you seek to represent yourself.
Making Lowball Offers
If you need to take a lot of time off work while recovering from your injuries, you might be feeling desperate as bills pile up with no way to pay them. An unscrupulous State Farm insurance adjuster might decide to take advantage of your desperation by offering you an immediate settlement that amounts to far less than your claim is worth.
Monitoring Your Social Media Accounts
Are you active on Facebook, Instagram, or another social media site? If you are, it is likely that the insurance company is watching. One of their agents might even send you a friend request to gain further access to your account.
With certain exceptions, the contents of your social media accounts are admissible evidence in court and at the settlement table. Imagine you upload a year-old photo of you drinking a beer at a party. The insurance company might use this photo to suggest that you weren’t as seriously injured as you claim to be. They might then use it to attack your claimed medical expenses.
Downplaying Your Non-economic Damages
Non-economic damages—such as mental anguish and pain and suffering—are difficult to assign value to because they are so intangible. Nevertheless, they often amount to more than half the total value of a personal injury claim.
A State Farm insurance adjuster might take advantage of their ambiguity, however, to drastically undervalue them. If you don’t know how much they are worth, you are a sitting duck for this kind of tactic.
Asking You Trick Questions
Insurance adjuster: “EXACTLY what time did the accident occur?”
You, exasperated: “OK, OK, the accident occurred at EXACTLY 6:34 pm. Are you happy now?”
Insurance adjuster: “Oh, so you were checking the time instead of watching the road.”
This is just one of many different word games that a State Farm insurance adjuster might try to play with you.
Convincing You Not to Hire a Lawyer
This is likely to be the most effective tactic of all, because a seasoned lawyer can help you avoid any other tricks the insurance adjuster might seek to play. In fact, most insurance adjusters will not even try to play some of the games with lawyers that they frequently play with unrepresented claimants.
Insurance Bad Faith: A Way to Fight Back
If a State Farm claims adjuster handles your case unfairly—such as by unreasonably delaying your claim, denying it without a valid reason, or failing to investigate—you might have grounds for an insurance bad faith claim. These claims are challenging and typically require showing that the insurer acted with more than just negligence—they must have acted in bad faith.
If your bad faith claim is viable, you may have two separate legal claims: your original personal injury case and a new claim for damages caused by the insurer’s misconduct. In some cases, bad faith damages can include attorney’s fees, emotional distress, or even punitive damages.
Even if you never formally file a bad faith lawsuit, the possibility of one can be a powerful negotiation tool, especially if the evidence suggests the insurer is acting unreasonably. That’s why having an experienced attorney is key: they can assess whether bad faith applies and use it strategically during settlement talks.
Don’t Let State Farm Stack the Deck Against You
State Farm may present itself as a friendly face in times of crisis, but when it comes time to pay out on a claim, its actions often reveal a far different agenda—one driven by profits, not people.
From lowball offers and psychological tactics to surveillance and manipulation, their strategies are designed to tip the scales in their favor. If you’re dealing with State Farm after an accident or injury, it’s critical to understand that you’re not just navigating a claims process—you’re negotiating against a corporate machine with decades of experience in protecting its bottom line.
Don’t face it alone; consult an experienced attorney who can level the playing field and make sure you’re treated fairly. The more you know, the better you can fight back.
Contact The Dallas Personal Injury Law Firm of Benton Accident & Injury Lawyers Today
If you’ve been injured in an accident in Dallas, TX, contact us for more information, please contact the experienced Dallas personal injury lawyers at Benton Accident & Injury Lawyers today. We offer free consultations.
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Benton Accident & Injury Lawyers
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