Auto Accident Payment Recovery
Payment Recovery
Bad drivers, you see them every day. The guy who is paying more attention to your cell phone than the road, the lady who cuts you on the road without looking, the teenager who is playing with the radio fo.
You may not be able to avoid them, but you shouldn’t have to pay for your poor driving. Through payment recovery, GEICO does everything it can to ensure that you don’t have to.
Let’s say your vehicle is damaged due to the negligence of another driver. Once GEICO resolves your claim, we will likely try to recover your deductible, and also recover the amount we paid, from the negligent party or that party’s insurance company. This common process is known as payment recovery or subrogation.
How does payment recovery work?
When you have an accident, we will verify who is at fault. If the accident is the fault of the other driver, we will put a Payment Recovery Examiner in the case who will make sure that the other driver, or your insurance company, pays for the damages related to the vehicle. In addition, the examiner will keep you informed about the payment recovery process.
Your Payment Recovery Examiner will notify the negligent another party, or that party’s insurance company, that we are requesting a refund on your behalf, and then follow up over and over and over again, until they receive payment or until that our efforts are completely exhausted.
Example
In some situations, no matter how tough we are, we cannot get the full amount we ask for. (Sometimes this happens because the other party involved disputes the cause of the accident or is uninsured.) We cannot guarantee the recovery of your full deductible, but rest assured that we will do everything possible to obtain the maximum possible reimbursement.
How long does it take?
Recovery of the payment usually takes about six months, but sometimes happens faster depending on the circumstances. (GEICO’s claims are like snowflakes – they’re all unique.) Like most things in life, it works best when everyone plays well and cooperates. If the other parties involved do not cooperate, the recovery could take longer or we may not be able to recover anything at all.
Whatever happens, we can guarantee one thing: we will work as hard as possible, for as long as possible on your behalf. When you work with GEICO, you always have an ally.
How can I help speed up the payment recovery process?
If you have an insurance claim in the recovery of payment, the most important thing to remember is this: Let us handle it!
You can help us by following these steps:
Refer any inquiries from the other parties involved to the GEICO representative handling your claim.
Consult GEICO before making statements or accepting settlement offers. Failure to consult us could jeopardize your claim.
Be prepared to send a canceled check, a credit card statement that you paid your deductible. GEICO will contact you if the other insurance company needs this information.
You are prepared to submit a written or recorded statement regarding the facts of the accident. GEICO will contact you if the other insurance company needs this information.
Note:
States have different rules regarding the recovery of payments. Some states do not allow recovery of payments for some coverages. Check with the GEICO representative handling your claim for more information.
