Farmers Insurance Car Accident Claim After a Dallas Wreck: What Injured Victims Need to Know

If you were injured in a Dallas car wreck and the driver who hit you has Farmers Insurance, you may receive a call from a Farmers claims representative shortly after the collision.

You may also be considering calling Farmers yourself to open an injury claim.

Before you have a detailed conversation with Farmers about how the crash happened, your injuries, your medical history, or what your claim may be worth, consider speaking with a Dallas car accident lawyer first.

The first few days after a serious wreck can be important.

You may still be hurting. You may not know the full extent of your injuries. You may not have undergone an MRI, seen a specialist, or learned whether you will need physical therapy, injections, surgery, or other treatment.

At the same time, Farmers may already be investigating the claim.

A claims representative may want information about:

• How the collision occurred;

• Where the vehicles were located;

• What you saw before impact;

• Whether you could have avoided the crash;

• Whether you were distracted;

• Whether police investigated the wreck;

• Whether witnesses saw what happened;

• Whether you were injured;

• What medical treatment you have received;

• Whether you had prior similar injuries; and

• Whether you have missed work.

Those questions may sound routine.

But what you say can become part of the insurance company's investigation and evaluation of your bodily injury claim.

If you suffered a significant injury in a Dallas wreck involving a Farmers-insured driver, you do not have to navigate the insurance process alone.

The Wooley Law Firm represents people injured in serious car accidents throughout Dallas and North Texas. We can investigate the wreck, preserve evidence, communicate with Farmers, document your medical treatment and damages, identify available insurance coverage, and evaluate settlement offers before you sign away your claim.

Should I Call Farmers Insurance After a Dallas Car Accident?

If the driver who caused your Dallas car accident has Farmers Insurance, a claim generally needs to be reported so the insurer can begin investigating.

Farmers provides several ways to report and manage an auto insurance claim, including online claim reporting and contact with a claims representative.

But there is an important difference between reporting that an accident happened and giving an insurance adjuster a lengthy statement about fault, your injuries, and your medical history.

If you were seriously injured, consider speaking with an attorney before providing Farmers with a detailed or recorded statement.

A Dallas car accident attorney can help determine:

• What information Farmers reasonably needs;

• Whether you should provide a recorded statement;

• What photographs and video should be preserved;

• Whether nearby surveillance footage may exist;

• Whether another driver or business may share responsibility;

• Whether additional insurance policies apply;

• How your medical treatment should be documented;

• Whether your own PIP or UM/UIM coverage may apply; and

• How communications with Farmers should be handled.

If Farmers insures the driver who hit you, the Farmers claims representative is investigating a claim being made against its insured.

For more information about early insurance conversations, read our guide on what to say when an insurance company calls after a Dallas car or truck wreck.

How Does a Farmers Insurance Car Accident Claim Work?

According to Farmers, an auto claim can generally begin by filing the claim online or contacting the company's claims department.

Farmers explains that after the claim is filed, a claims representative reviews it and may contact you or other people involved to obtain more information.

Farmers also allows claimants and policyholders to upload documents, monitor claim status, view correspondence, and track certain payments through its online claim system.

You can review Farmers' explanation of its auto claim process here.

Opening a Farmers claim does not necessarily mean the company has accepted liability for the accident.

When Farmers insures another driver, the company may investigate:

• Whether its insured caused the crash;

• Whether another driver contributed;

• Whether the Farmers policy provides coverage;

• The nature of the vehicle damage;

• Whether your claimed injuries resulted from the collision;

• Whether medical treatment was reasonable and related;

• Your claimed lost income; and

• Other damages you are seeking.

What Information May Farmers Request After a Dallas Wreck?

Farmers advises people filing auto claims to gather information such as driver's-license information, insurance information, information about the other people involved, and witness information.

Farmers also states that a person filing a claim may be asked to describe the accident.

You can review Farmers' guidance on how to file a car insurance claim.

After a significant Dallas collision, relevant evidence may include:

• The police crash report;

• Driver statements;

• Witness statements;

• Photographs of both vehicles;

• Crash-scene photographs;

• Dash-camera footage;

• Surveillance video;

• 911 calls;

• Police body-camera footage;

• Vehicle damage;

• Traffic citations;

• Electronic vehicle data; and

• Other evidence concerning how the wreck occurred.

An insurance company's investigation does not necessarily end with the police report.

Farmers may separately evaluate responsibility based on the information available to the claims representative.

That is one reason it can be important to preserve evidence independently after a serious wreck.

What If Farmers Insurance Wants a Recorded Statement?

A Farmers claims representative may ask you to explain how the collision occurred.

Depending on the circumstances, the company may also request a recorded statement.

If Farmers insures the other driver, do not assume you must immediately provide a recorded statement merely because an adjuster asks for one.

Recorded statements can matter because they preserve exactly what you said during the early stages of the claim.

The timing can create problems.

You might be answering questions only a few days after the crash, before:

• You have obtained the police report;

• You have seen available dash-camera footage;

• Surveillance video has been obtained;

• Witnesses have been interviewed;

• You understand your injuries;

• You have undergone an MRI;

• You have seen an orthopedic or spine specialist; or

• You know whether future medical treatment will be necessary.

An adjuster may also ask detailed questions such as:

How fast were you driving?

When did you first see the other vehicle?

Could you have stopped sooner?

Were you using your phone?

How are you feeling today?

Have you ever injured your neck before?

Have you had previous back problems?

Do not guess.

If you do not know a particular speed, distance, timing, or other fact, say that you do not know rather than making an estimate that later proves inaccurate.

Our article about insurance adjuster calls after Dallas wrecks discusses recorded statements and common adjuster questions in greater detail.

Why Saying “I'm Fine” Can Become Important

One of the simplest questions a Farmers adjuster may ask is:

“How are you doing?”

Many people automatically answer:

“I'm fine.”

“I'm okay.”

“Just a little sore.”

That may simply be how you normally respond when someone asks how you are doing.

But after a car wreck, some injuries may not yet be fully understood.

You may not know whether your neck or back pain is temporary muscle soreness, a herniated disc, a nerve injury, or another condition until additional treatment or diagnostic imaging occurs.

An insurance company may later compare your early statements with the injuries you ultimately claim.

Be truthful about how you feel, but do not minimize symptoms merely because you are trying to be polite.

What If Farmers Says My Injuries Were Pre-Existing?

Insurance companies commonly investigate prior medical conditions in bodily injury claims.

Having a history of neck pain, back pain, arthritis, previous surgery, another collision, or another medical condition does not necessarily mean the current wreck caused no injury.

Depending on the medical evidence, an accident could potentially:

• Cause a new injury;

• Aggravate a prior condition;

• Make a previously asymptomatic condition symptomatic; or

• Increase existing pain or physical limitations.

Medical records may therefore become important when Farmers evaluates causation.

The issue is often not simply whether you had a prior condition.

The more important question may be how your health and symptoms before the crash compare with your condition after the crash.

Can Farmers Ask for My Medical Records?

If you make a bodily injury claim, Farmers may request documentation supporting your injuries and treatment.

That can include:

• Emergency room records;

• Physician records;

• Diagnostic imaging;

• Physical therapy records;

• Pain-management records;

• Surgical records;

• Medical bills; and

• Other records relating to your claimed injuries.

An adjuster may also request records from before the accident when a prior medical condition is potentially relevant.

Be cautious before signing an extremely broad medical authorization.

Understand:

• Which providers Farmers can contact;

• What time period the authorization covers;

• What types of records can be obtained; and

• Whether the authorization reaches medical conditions unrelated to the wreck.

If you have substantial injuries or a complicated medical history, speak with an attorney before signing a broad authorization.

Farmers May Review Your Medical Treatment

When evaluating a bodily injury claim, Farmers may consider issues such as:

• Whether you sought emergency treatment;

• How quickly you sought treatment after the collision;

• The symptoms documented in your medical records;

• Whether you consistently attended treatment;

• Whether there were unexplained treatment gaps;

• MRI or CT findings;

• Specialist recommendations;

• Physical therapy;

• Pain-management treatment;

• Injections;

• Surgery;

• Future medical care;

• Prior medical conditions; and

• Whether the treatment is related to the wreck.

This is one reason it may be risky to resolve a serious injury claim before you understand your medical condition.

Our guide to medical bills and treatment after a Dallas car accident explains several medical and insurance issues that may arise after a wreck.

What Is a Farmers Insurance Car Accident Claim Worth?

There is no predetermined settlement value for a Farmers Insurance injury claim.

The potential value depends on the evidence and circumstances of the particular collision.

Relevant factors may include:

• Who caused the wreck;

• Whether fault is disputed;

• Whether multiple drivers share responsibility;

• The severity of your injuries;

• Your medical treatment;

• Diagnostic imaging findings;

• Whether injections are necessary;

• Whether surgery is required;

• Future medical expenses;

• Past medical expenses;

• Lost income;

• Loss of earning capacity;

• Pain and physical limitations;

• Permanent impairment;

• Available insurance coverage; and

• Whether additional defendants or insurance policies exist.

Two crashes that appear similar from photographs can lead to very different injury claims.

That is why a claim should be evaluated based on the individual medical and liability evidence—not merely the insurance company involved.

What If Farmers Makes a Quick Settlement Offer?

An insurance company may attempt to resolve an injury claim before medical treatment is complete.

A quick offer is not automatically an unfair offer.

The concern is whether you have enough information to evaluate it.

Before settling a serious injury claim, consider whether you know:

• Your final diagnosis;

• Whether an MRI or other imaging is necessary;

• Whether you need treatment from a specialist;

• Whether injections are recommended;

• Whether surgery may be necessary;

• Whether you will continue missing work;

• Whether symptoms may be permanent;

• Your total medical expenses;

• Whether medical liens or reimbursement claims exist; and

• How much insurance coverage is available.

A bodily injury settlement usually involves signing a release.

Once you settle the claim and execute a valid release, you generally cannot simply come back later and ask for more money because your condition worsened.

Do not sign a settlement release until you understand what claims and rights it releases.

What If Farmers Blames Me for the Crash?

Farmers may conclude that its insured was not entirely responsible for the accident.

That does not necessarily end the matter.

An insurer's liability decision is based on the evidence available to it.

Additional evidence may affect the analysis.

That evidence can include:

• Dash-camera recordings;

• Nearby surveillance footage;

• Traffic-camera evidence;

• Witness testimony;

• Police body-camera footage;

• Vehicle photographs;

• Scene photographs;

• Vehicle event-data recorder information;

• Cell-phone evidence when appropriate; and

• Accident reconstruction evidence in more serious cases.

Texas follows proportionate-responsibility rules.

Depending on the circumstances, an insurance company may argue that an injured person contributed to the collision.

That makes preserving independent evidence especially important when liability is disputed.

What If the Farmers Driver Does Not Have Enough Insurance?

A driver's liability insurance may not be sufficient to compensate someone who suffered significant injuries.

Coverage limits can become particularly important when an accident results in:

• Hospitalization;

• Surgery;

• Long-term medical treatment;

• Significant lost wages;

• Permanent impairment; or

• Multiple injured victims.

Your own automobile policy may provide additional protection through uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.

Read our guide explaining uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage after a Texas car accident.

You can also learn more about how our firm handles these claims on our Dallas uninsured and underinsured motorist attorney page.

Other potentially responsible parties may also exist if:

• The driver was working when the collision occurred;

• A company owned the vehicle;

• Another driver contributed to the accident;

• A dangerous or defective vehicle component contributed; or

• Another applicable insurance policy exists.

A serious injury investigation should look beyond the first insurance policy identified at the crash scene.

What If I Also Have Farmers Insurance?

You could potentially have Farmers Insurance yourself while the driver who hit you is also insured by Farmers.

If that happens, there may be different claims under different policies.

For example, you might have:

• A liability claim against the other driver's Farmers policy;

• A collision claim under your own Farmers policy;

• A PIP claim;

• A Medical Payments claim;

• An uninsured motorist claim;

• An underinsured motorist claim; or

• Another first-party coverage claim.

Do not assume every Farmers representative contacting you is handling the same claim.

Ask:

Which policy are you handling?

Which coverage are you handling?

Are you handling my claim under my own policy or the liability claim against the other driver?

Your obligations under your own insurance policy may be different from your obligations when pursuing a claim against another driver's liability insurance.

Farmers itself explains that a person who was not at fault may have the option of pursuing vehicle-damage issues through their own insurer or the other driver's insurance company, depending on the circumstances. You can read Farmers' discussion of filing a car insurance claim here.

Property Damage and Your Farmers Claim

Your bodily injury claim and your vehicle-damage claim are related to the same collision, but they are different components of the insurance claim.

Farmers states that after an auto claim is filed, vehicle repairs may be handled through a network repair facility or another repair facility selected by the vehicle owner, subject to the claims process.

Farmers also states in its claims FAQ that the choice of repair facility remains with the vehicle owner.

Property-damage issues may involve:

• Repair estimates;

• Whether the vehicle is repairable;

• Total-loss valuation;

• Towing;

• Storage charges;

• Rental vehicles;

• Diminished value; and

• Damage to personal property inside the vehicle.

Be careful not to confuse paperwork relating only to the vehicle with a release of your bodily injury claim.

Read everything before signing it.

When Should I Contact a Dallas Car Accident Lawyer About a Farmers Claim?

You should consider speaking with an attorney if:

• You were transported to an emergency room;

• You suffered significant injuries;

• An MRI or CT scan showed an injury;

• You were referred to a specialist;

• Injections have been recommended;

• Surgery may be necessary;

• You have substantial medical bills;

• You are missing work;

• Farmers disputes liability;

• Farmers claims you contributed to the collision;

• Farmers requests a recorded statement;

• Farmers requests extensive prior medical records;

• The insurer says your injuries were pre-existing;

• Your claim has been denied;

• You received a settlement offer;

• The driver's insurance limits may be inadequate;

• Multiple vehicles were involved; or

• You are being asked to sign a release.

You do not need to wait until Farmers denies the claim before contacting an attorney.

Important evidence can disappear.

Video can be overwritten. Vehicles can be repaired. Witnesses can become difficult to locate.

An early investigation can help preserve evidence showing how the wreck actually occurred.

How The Wooley Law Firm Can Help With a Farmers Insurance Car Accident Claim

If you hire The Wooley Law Firm after a serious Dallas car wreck, we can handle communications with Farmers while you focus on your medical treatment.

Depending on the facts, our work may include:

• Investigating how the accident happened;

• Obtaining the police report;

• Searching for video evidence;

• Preserving photographs and electronic information;

• Identifying witnesses;

• Communicating with Farmers;

• Identifying all available insurance policies;

• Gathering medical records and bills;

• Documenting lost income;

• Evaluating medical liens and reimbursement issues;

• Documenting future medical needs;

• Preparing a settlement demand;

• Negotiating the injury claim;

• Reviewing settlement releases; and

• Filing a lawsuit when appropriate.

We represent injured drivers and passengers after wrecks throughout Dallas and North Texas, including accidents on I-35E, I-30, I-20, I-635, US-75, I-45, the Dallas North Tollway, Loop 12, and streets throughout Dallas County.

Farmers is one of several large auto insurers Dallas-area drivers may encounter after an accident. Our guide to the most popular auto insurance companies in Dallas-Fort Worth discusses Farmers along with State Farm, Progressive, Allstate, GEICO, USAA, Texas Farm Bureau, and other insurers.

Frequently Asked Questions About Farmers Insurance Car Accident Claims

Should I call Farmers after a Dallas wreck?

The accident generally needs to be reported so Farmers can investigate the claim. If you suffered significant injuries, consider talking with a Dallas car accident lawyer before providing a detailed or recorded statement.

Does a Farmers claims representative represent me?

If Farmers insures the other driver, the claims representative is handling a claim against Farmers' insured. The representative is not your lawyer.

Do I have to give Farmers a recorded statement?

Do not assume that you must immediately provide a recorded statement to the other driver's insurance company simply because it is requested. The situation may be different when Farmers is your own insurer and you are making a claim under your policy.

Can Farmers dispute fault even if the police officer blamed its driver?

Yes. Insurance companies conduct their own liability investigations and may consider driver statements, witnesses, photographs, video, physical evidence, and other information in addition to a police crash report.

What if Farmers says my injury existed before the accident?

Prior injuries and medical conditions can become an issue in a bodily injury claim, but the existence of a prior condition does not by itself determine whether the new collision caused an injury or aggravated the condition.

Should I accept a Farmers settlement offer?

That depends on the facts. Consider your injuries, treatment, future medical needs, lost income, insurance limits, liability evidence, and other damages before signing a release.

What if the Farmers driver's policy limits are not enough?

Depending on the circumstances, additional recovery may potentially be available through underinsured motorist coverage, another insurance policy, or another responsible person or business.

Injured by a Farmers-Insured Driver? Talk to a Dallas Car Accident Lawyer

If another driver caused a Dallas wreck and Farmers Insurance is handling the claim, consider talking with an attorney before giving a detailed recorded statement, signing a broad medical authorization, accepting a settlement offer, or signing a release.

The insurance company can investigate the collision immediately.

You can have someone investigating it for you.

The Wooley Law Firm represents people injured in serious car accidents throughout Dallas and North Texas.

We can investigate what happened, preserve evidence, communicate with Farmers and other insurers, identify available insurance coverage, gather medical documentation, evaluate damages, negotiate the claim, and file a lawsuit when necessary.

Learn more about how we represent injured motorists on our Dallas car accident lawyer page.

Call The Wooley Law Firm at (214) 699-6524 for a free consultation. You don't pay unless we win.

You can also contact The Wooley Law Firm online.

Tell us what happened. We can review your Dallas car accident claim and explain the options that may be available.

Disclaimer

This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Insurance coverage depends on the applicable policy and the facts of the individual claim. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.