This page will look at what to expect when handling an auto accident claim with Progressive. Progressive is now the 3rd largest personal auto insurance carrier in the U.S. The company has grown rapidly over recent years thanks to a massive marketing campaign and its tech savvy, direct to consumer insurance model. Like GEICO, Progressive does not have agents and it sells insurance directly to consumers through its sophisticated website and mobile apps. Progressive focuses on delivering lower prices to consumers, both through cheaper rates and allowing insureds to manage their own coverage directly. This approach has earned Progressive high marks in customer satisfaction, at least on the purchasing side. The claims side is a much different story.

AVG. PROGRESSIVE OFFER vs. MEDICAL BILLS

Progressive Will Never Make Fair Initial Offers

When in comes to handling accident claims the one word that best describes Progressive’s approach is cheap. All insurance companies try to minimize the amount they spend on claims, but Progressive takes corner cutting and cheapness to a new level. Progressive’s absurd cost cutting tactics are most noticeable in the early stages of the claims process. Progressive will NEVER make a fair or reasonable initial settlement offer.

We looked at a random sampling of 17 recent auto accident claims with Progressive in Maryland. For each claim we compared the amount of the claimant’s medical expenses (usually the minimum for a fair settlement) with the amount of Progressive’s first settlement offer on the claim. In 8 out of the 17 claims, Progressive’s first offer was actually LESS than the total medical expenses. Overall, Progressive’s initial offer to settle claims was 30% below the amount of medical expenses. Progressive justifies these extremely low offers by nickel and diming claimants on their medical treatment.

Progressive Rarely Takes Cases to Trial

In Maryland, Progressive has a very small in-house attorney staff which significantly limits the number of contested accident cases that they can take to trial. This means that if you file a lawsuit against Progressive’s insured driver, their claims department will be under tremendous pressure to negotiate a settlement before going to trial. Progressive becomes dramatically more reasonable as soon as a lawsuit gets filed in a claim. There is usually no transfer of the claim to a new adjuster (like you see with some companies like USAA), but once litigation is pending the adjuster will start to bend on things he or she seemed totally inflexible on before. Medical treatment that was supposedly “unnecessary” before, will suddenly seem more acceptable once a case is filed.

This doesn’t mean that Progressive will simply roll over and give you whatever you want as soon as you file a lawsuit. Their cheap, cost cutting approach to claims negotiation will continue at least through the discovery phase of the case. Once a trial date gets set and that date starts approaching, however, Progressive’s in-house attorneys will usually step in and make an effort to get cases settled.