Safeco Insurance is part of the Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, and it's headquartered in Seattle. Like any other insurance company, it's in the business of receiving premium checks and paying as little as possible or even nothing on claims. It has a history of good customer service, but remember that if you're filing a personal injury claim against a person who is insured by Safeco, you're not a customer. You're an opposing claimant, and Safeco will do whatever it legally can to pay as little as possible or nothing on your claim.
Contact us for a free consultation after any accident in Los Angeles County. We've handled injury claims involving Safeco before.
If we end up representing you, we will handle the claims process for you.
If you must file yourself, here's how to best protect yourself if you're injured in a Los Angeles accident as a result of the carelessness and negligence of a driver who is insured by Safeco.
Get a police report
Don't get talked out of having police coming to the accident scene. Both sides to your accident claim will rely on the accident report that's generated by the investigating police officer. That officer could be the best post-occurrence witness that you have. You'll have little credibility with Safeco, a judge or a jury without a vehicle collision report.
Making the personal injury claim
Safeco doesn't provide an email address to the general public for purposes of making claims against it, but if you call 800-332-3226, you can get turned in the right direction. It's strongly recommended that you follow up your initial conversation with a letter advising of your claim along with your contact information. If you send that letter by certified mail with a return receipt requested, you'll get the attention of somebody in Safeco's bodily injury claims department. An adjuster will be assigned to your claim, and he or she will acknowledge receipt of your claim by mail.
The medical authorization and statement
It's likely that a medical authorization to be signed and returned by you will be enclosed with Safeco's initial correspondence to you. California law doesn't require you to sign that authorization, so ignore it. The adjuster assigned to your claim will probably contact you "to see how you're doing." Then he or she will ask for a recorded statement. California law doesn't require you to give that statement either, so politely refuse to give it. You can prejudice your claim by providing a medical authorization or giving a statement. An old injury that healed years ago might be blamed for your present condition, and what you say in a statement today will probably be used against you in the future.
Don't think about representing yourself without speaking to a lawyer
You only have one chance to maximize your injury claim and get what you deserve. The more that you talk to the adjuster assigned to your claim, the more possible ammunition you're giving that person to pay less on it. The adjuster assigned to your personal injury claim has handled thousands of them. If you're not represented by an attorney, he or she has you right where they want you, and any mistakes that you make will be used against you to diminish the value of your claim. We don't make those mistakes.
If you've been injured in or around Los Angeles as a result of the negligence of another driver who is insured by Safeco, contact us for a free case consultation and review. There's no obligation, and we don't even get paid unless we obtain a settlement or verdict for you.
