Average Liberty Mutual Settlement Payouts

Liberty Mutual is one of the major insurance companies in the United States.

Liberty Mutual Insurance has a reputation for minimizing payouts.

This article will go into detail about the average Liberty Mutual settlement payouts, as well as what you can expect when dealing with Liberty Mutual claims.

Call our personal injury attorneys for a free consultation today if you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a car accident. We won’t charge any fee until and unless we win your car accident case. Call us today.

Does Liberty Mutual Pay Claims Well?

Reviews of settlements from Liberty Mutual are typically negative. Many people report that Libert Mutual tends to offer small settlements. They also report the company tends to delay processing claims, and that legal action is often required for fair compensation. Reviews indicate the company can be reluctant to quickly settle claims generously, commonly forcing claimants to sue or negotiate hard to get a reasonable settlement. This is because of the company’s primary focus on making a profit.

In fact, the American Association for Justice has called Liberty Mutual one of the ten worst insurance companies in the country.

A settlement payout from Liberty Mutual refers to how much financial compensation someone receives from the company when they settle a claim. This is usually based upon the extent of accident-related damages, and may include financial compensation for bodily injury, property damage and other covered losses. The exact amount is going to depend upon specific claim details and negotiations.

The size of the settlement usually gets negotiated between a Liberty Mutual adjuster and the claimant. Claimants are not obligated to accept adjusters’ first offers.

For settlements to be maximized, all losses and damages need to be thoroughly documented, including lost wages, repair estimates and medical bills.

Factors which affect payout sizes include claim strength, applicable state laws, your injuries’ extent and the accident’s severity.

The company will often start with a small offer. If you need to deal with Liberty Mutual, be prepared to negotiate with them by countering their offer with a well-supported, reasonable demand. If you think your offer is too small or you’re having difficulty with a claim, consider consulting with a law firm so you can file a lawsuit.

Key points regarding Liberty Mutual’s settlements:

Low settlement offers: A lot of people complain that initial settlement offers are frequently presented by Liberty Mutual which are significantly smaller than the actual claim value, requiring legal action or negotiation to come to a fair settlement.
Claims delay tactics: Many have reported that the company can process and pay claims slowly, delay responses and ask for additional information in order to prolong the process of settlement.
Claim denials: Some claim that if you have a valid claim, refusing it is one of the company’s tactics.
Customer service concerns: Many reviews mention problems with customer service while attempting to go through the claims process or resolve settlement amount issues. Some claim their customer service is difficult to reach and inconsistent.
Legal representation required: Because of the company’s reputation for complex claims handling and low settlement offers, many will advise that you consult with an experienced attorney if you need to deal with an insurance claim involving Liberty Mutual.

Call us today for a free consultation if you or a loved one is dealing with Liberty Mutual after being injured in a car accident. The company won’t pay you what you’re entitled to under California law unless you have a lawyer, since they know the only way you can force them to pay you what you’re entitled to is to sue them and win. You’ll see nothing but low ball offers from this company if you don’t have a lawyer by your side. Call us today.

The Average Liberty Mutual Settlement Check

The average settlement check from Liberty Mutual will vary a lot depending upon claim specifics, but will generally fall in a range from a few thousand dollars to $75,000 or more regarding personal injury cases.

Many experts note that the company tends to offer settlements anywhere from 40 to 60 percent under the true claim value unless a lawsuit gets filed. This means the average settlement check might be considered small compared to what claimants may receive if they pursue litigation aggressively through a lawyer.

Many factors will affect the size of your settlement, including accident severity and policy limits. In the end, the size of your settlement will depend on the damages you suffered. Damages our lawyers can help you recover from Liberty Mutual after a car accident include:

Medical Bills

We can help you recover compensation for medical bills relating to your injuries, including minor injuries like soft tissue injuries and major injuries like traumatic brain injuries. This includes all medical bills you already owe as well as all medical expenses you can be reasonably estimated to owe in the future due to your injuries. This means we can help you recover compensation for necessary future medical treatments.

Lost Wages

We can help you get paid by Liberty Mutual for any wages you’re unable to earn due to your injuries, such as wages you’re unable to earn due to being hurt too badly to work or having to take time off from work for medical treatments.

Loss of Earning Capacity

If you’ve been left disabled by an accident, we can help you get paid by Liberty Mutual for the loss or reduction of your earning capacity represented by this disability.

Pain and Suffering

We can accurately calculate the value of your physical pain and mental suffering and make sure that Liberty Mutual pays you fairly for it.

Property Damage

We can help you get paid by Liberty Mutual for the cost to repair or replace your vehicle after an accident.

Wrongful Death

If you have lost a loved one in a car accident, we can help you get paid by Liberty Mutual for things like your loved one’s pain, suffering, medical bills, funeral and burial costs, your grieving and suffering, and the loss of your loved one’s love, companionship, household services, income and spousal benefits.

How Much Does Liberty Mutual Pay for Pain and Suffering?

No hard, fast rule exists regarding how much this company will pay regarding pain and suffering. How much they’ll pay will depend upon your case’s circumstances as well as the experience and skill of your attorneys.

Pain and Suffering Examples

We can help you recover compensation for:

Loss of consortium
Scarring/disfigurement
Inability to do work or perform routine errands
Pain
Depression
Anxiety disorder
Problems with sleeping
Emotional distress
Mood swings

How Pain and Suffering Gets Quantified

It may be hard to quantify these damages. Should your car end up totaled in your accident, it’s pretty easy to figure out how much your car is worth. However, if you lose a limb in your accident, it’s much harder to determine the value of your limb. A situation like this is where you require an attorney with experience in the courtroom like our lawyers.

A lawyer will begin by having you document what you’ve experienced as soon as possible. If you postpone documenting your emotional distress, suffering and pain, this can significantly weaken your claim, reducing how much compensation you’re awarded in the end.

Documentation creates evidence, and evidence like documentation and witness statements creates strong cases. Only strong cases will lead to the most compensation being recovered. We encourage that our clients keep pain and suffering journals.

Say you’ve ended up with a broken rib after an accident. After seeking medical treatment and contacting your insurance company, you next need to write down how you experience emotional distress, suffering and pain every day, documenting even experiences which are mundane.

Document if you can’t sleep, can’t focus at work, have trouble driving to the store, can’t do your laundry without feeling pain, etc.

Details like these can seem insignificant, but when you consider them cumulatively, they can significantly affect the value of your claim.

To quantify pain and suffering, a lawyer will talk with you and ask questions regarding your suffering and pain. Then, your attorney will gather evidence such as:

Receipts for medical devices and medications
Pictures of injuries or scars
Medical records and expenses

We will calculate how much compensation you’re eligible for then convince Liberty Mutual to give you that sum.

Pain and suffering compensation usually gets calculated via one of two ways:

The multiplier method
The per diem method

The multiplier method adds up all costs incurred like lost wages and medical bills alongside inevitable future costs. That total is then multiplied by a multiplier ranging from 1.5 to 5, depending upon how severe your suffering, pain and emotional distress is.

For example, say you suffered $40,000 in medical bills and income lost, but your whole life got upended by the accident. You may get assigned a multiplier value of four, so you’d receive $160,000 in pain and suffering compensation.

The multiplier could be lower if you only injured a few fingers, impeding your ability to work without entirely preventing you from working. However, if you’re a pro musician, then the multiplier could be higher because you can’t work at all without the use of your fingers. If you lost your fingers, the multiplier would be even higher then since your entire career was ruined by your injury.

In summary, how much financial compensation you’ll qualify for with regards to pain and suffering will depend upon your case’s individual circumstances.

Liberty Mutual Car Accident Settlement Examples

Examples of Liberty Mutual car accident settlements reported on the internet include:

$1,000,000: A man got killed after a truck driver pulled from a loading dock while he was loading sugar into a trailer with a forklift. The man jumped off or fell from the forklift when it was suspended and landed underneath it before it fell. Two of the plaintiffs’ claims were settled for $1 million in mediation out of court.¹
$100,000: A defendant didn’t stop at a red light, t-boning a plaintiff’s vehicle, causing injuries including head laceration, concussion, and sprains of the lumbar and cervical spine, shoulder and left thigh. $31,000 was Liberty Mutual’s initial offer, but two months prior to trial, a $100,000 policy limits settlement was reached.¹
$18,500: A plaintiff visited an ER after being rear-ended, suffering minor injuries and needing physical therapy for his neck and lower back. The defendant admitted liability and reached a settlement of $18,500 through Liberty Mutual.¹

How to Maximize Your Liberty Mutual Settlement

To maximize your settlement with Liberty Mutual:

Seek immediate medical treatment: Your claim can be weakened if you delay medical care. Seek treatment immediately after your accident and diligently follow doctors’ recommendations.
Document everything: Be sure to keep detailed records of medical bills, property damage, lost wages, and additional accident-related expenses.
Promptly report the accident: File an insurance claim as quickly as possible.
Collect evidence: Gather evidence like accident scene pictures, police reports and witness statements.
Don’t admit fault: Don’t make statements which may get interpreted as admitting fault for your accident.
Be careful on social media: Don’t share personal information related to your accident on any social media platforms.
Understand the claims process: Familiarize yourself with all steps involved in filing Liberty Mutual claims and documentation submission deadlines.
Be prepared for negotiations: Don’t accept the company’s first offer, as it will probably be a lot smaller than what you’re entitled to.
Consider any future damages: When you calculate your claim, be sure to factor in potential future lost wages and medical costs related to your injuries.
Consult with a lawyer: An experienced personal injury lawyer can help you to navigate the entire claims process, negotiate a larger settlement, and effectively represent your interests.

How Long Does It Take for Liberty Mutual to Pay Claims?

The time it takes for auto insurance companies like Liberty Mutual to pay claims depends upon the claim type, the damage’s severity and the length of time that negotiations last.

Claims can be filed online in under 10 minutes. Incident details will be reviewed by a claims representative with Liberty Mutual, who will get back to you in one or two business days. The progress of your claim can be tracked online if you’d like real-time updates.

The average process of subrogation takes about six months. It may take longer, though, depending on accident severity.

Once a payment qualifies, you may receive an email containing a link to an online payment center, where you can transfer your money to a bank account, PayPal or debit card. You can also receive a check via U.S. Mail to the address in your claim file in seven to 10 days. It typically takes the company two or three weeks to send a check once an agreement is reached.

In total, simple claims may take weeks or a few months. Complicated claims can take six months or even longer, especially when liability gets disputed. Lawsuits may take over one year.

Total loss claims may take one or two weeks to finalize after total losses are confirmed and all documentation which is necessary is given.

Liberty Mutual will issue a check for repair costs minus the deductible. When vehicles have lienholders, the company will pay the lienholders and repair shops. When Guaranteed Repair Network shops are used, the company pays the shops directly.

Injured in an Accident? Fill Out a Free Case Evaluation Today

Call us today for a free case evaluation, fill out this page’s free case evaluation form or text us from this page if you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an car accident and are now dealing with Liberty Mutual.

We have been helping car accident victims and dealing with Liberty Mutual since 1990 and have recovered over $750,000,000 for our clients. Our extensive experience will allow us to recover the most money possible from Liberty Mutual.

If you cannot afford to have your injuries treated, we will get you to doctors who will treat you on a lien, meaning you will not be charged for your treatment until your case ends. Doctors will do this for our clients because they know about our long-established reputation for success.

We will not charge you any fee to handle your case and deal with Liberty Mutual for you until and unless we recover compensation for you – our only fee is a percentage of whatever compensation we recover, so you won’t be charged any upfront or out-of-pocket fee.

Call us today for a free consultation.

References

1. Miller & Zois