Ameriprise/American Family: Auto Accident Claims and Settlements

On this page, we will look at what to expect when dealing with Ameriprise as the insurance company in auto accident cases. We will also examine some settlements and verdicts in Ameriprise injury cases.

A look at Ameriprise Financial’s website will tell you that auto insurance appears to be primarily an afterthought. The company does everything—financial planning, banking, retirement and annuities, investments, and lending.

The Wisconsin-based company has been around since 1894, but it is a relative newcomer to the car insurance field. It started writing policies about twenty years ago. They do not have a significant market share in Maryland or Washington, D.C. — thriving primarily in California — but Ameriprise seems to be adding market share in the Baltimore-Washington area. The company has done an excellent job of leveraging its relationship with Costco to sell insurance in Costco’s stores and its website. (Our lawyers have brought claims against both of these companies.)

In 2019, Ameriprise Auto & Home was sold to American Family for $1 billion. Eventually, Ameriprise’s afterthought became a real afterthought.

Dealing with Ameriprise on Injury Settlement Claims Before Filing Lawsuits

Ameriprise is an enormous company. Our accident lawyers have found them challenging to deal with on car crash claims. Ameriprise is typically slow to move, and many clients come to us because they cannot make any progress in settling their claims by themselves.

One of their unstated goals must be to bury accident victims in paperwork before paying claims. Recent surveys indicate that, even among Ameriprise clients, customer satisfaction is only at about 67%. Take these surveys with a grain of salt – their methodology may be very flawed – but they do comport with our law firm’s experience with Ameriprise.

Sadly, in many cases, the best course of action in an accident claim with Ameriprise is to file a lawsuit. They do not have in-house counsel in Maryland (and I doubt other jurisdictions), so Ameriprise is forced to hire a lawyer who will often force them to look at the case more seriously. Rollins Smalkin, a Baltimore firm, is doing some work defending Ameriprise).

At this point in the game, some level of sanity is often restored if only because we can deal with a law firm that understands Maryland law and can rationalize with Ameriprise. We find that many Ameriprise claims that we are forced to file lawsuits to settle before trial when an experienced defense lawyer enters the equation.

Ameriprise and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

One great way to judge insurance companies is to see just how ticky-tacky they are with their insureds, people that are paying them money every month for coverage. In Ameriprise’s case, the answer is pretty ticky-tacky.

Beginning late last year, our lawyers noticed that Ameriprise was trying to require recorded statements from our clients before paying on PIP car crash claims. (PIP is no-fault coverage that pays for, among other things, medical expenses and lost wages (See our main PIP webpage here.) There are very few insurance companies in Maryland asking for a recorded statement as a matter of course for a PIP claim. It just underscores what we are dealing with in Ameriprise.

Ameriprise Settlements and Verdicts

• Washington 2024 – $550,000: The plaintiff was involved in a very bad auto accident. She suffered a traumatic brain injury with a scalp hematoma; post neuro- cognitive disorder, including speech difficulty, visual disturbances, dizziness, confusion, nausea, sleep disturbances, and anxiety. She also suffered a cervical injury that required future ablation procedures. The settlement was split between the at-fault driver’s insurance company (Ameriprise) and the plaintiff’s UIM insurer (USAA).
• California 2021 – $205,000: The defendant ran a red light and hit the passenger side of a vehicle driven by the 66-year-old plaintiff. The plaintiff suffered a fracture of the right radius coronal plane and a displaced intra-articular radial fracture with a volar fracture fragment; contusions to right shoulder and left wrist. The defendant’s insurance carrier, Ameriprise, settled the case.
• Washington 2017 – $210,000: Plaintiff, an 83-year-old retired female, was a passenger in a vehicle driven by her husband when the defendant ran a stop sign and t-boned her vehicle. The impact caused the plaintiff’s vehicle to spin around and slam into a utility pole. Plaintiff’s alleged injuries included a prolapsed bladder requiring surgical repair, and shoulder, cervical, lumbar, and right superior iliac joint sprains. Ameriprise (plaintiff’s UIM insurer) and State Farm (the defendant’s insurance carrier) agreed to a joint settlement of $210k.
• Ohio 2017 – $70,250: Plaintiffs came to a stop for a traffic light at a busy intersection and were rear-ended by the defendant driver who American Family Insurance Company insured. Plaintiffs suffered various unspecified injuries and sought compensation for bodily injuries, pain and suffering, medical expenses, disability, lost enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium. Defendants denied liability and causation and the case went to trial where a jury awarded $70k.
• California 2017 – $120,000: 41-year-old male plaintiff was riding his bicycle when the defendant made a negligent left turn and struck him. Plaintiff’s alleged injuries included head injury with the post-concussion syndrome; facial lacerations requiring 29 sutures to the nose, lips, and chin; shoulder strain; acute cervical strain; knee contusion; and tinnitus. Ameriprise was the defendant’s auto insurance carrier. The case went to mediation and ultimately settled for $120,000.
• Colorado 2016 – $114,646: Male plaintiff in his mid-30s was t-boned by the defendant at an intersection and suffered torn shoulder requiring arthroscopic surgery to repair. Plaintiff agreed to a $25k policy limit settlement with the at-fault driver and then pursued his insurer, American Family Insurance, for UIM benefits. He eventually sued American Family, alleging that the company wrongfully incentivized its employees to make low settlement offers, and acted in bad faith when delaying and denying his benefit demands. The jury awarded $114k.
• New Jersey 2016 – $294,500: Ameriprise was one of 3 insurance carriers that agreed to settle the claims in this case. The injured plaintiffs were three minors in a vehicle the defendant hit head-on. All three minors suffered various injuries, the most serious of which was a broken thighbone.  The settlement compensation for broken bones in car accidents is typically high; this case is no exception.  Ameriprise was the insurer for the at-fault driver and contributed policy limits of $40k to the joint settlement.
• Indiana 2013 – $400,000: A 24-year-old female plaintiff reportedly sustained a concussion with loss of consciousness, facial scarring over her eye, and lip necrosis of her right knee joint when the defendant lost control of his vehicle and struck her. The plaintiff sued the defendant and brought a claim against her insurer, Ameriprise, for UIM benefits. The jury awarded $400,000, which was reduced to $368,000 based on the plaintiff’s 3.5% share of comparative fault.

Frequently Asked Questions Ameriprise Claim Questions

Is Ameriprise a Good Insurance Company?

Our lawyers are not big fans of Ameriprise. The company is difficult to deal with if you have a claim against this insurer. We have less experience evaluating Ameriprise from a policyholder’s perspective. But a simple Internet search suggests that those rating agencies digging into how Ameriprise treats its customers have concerns.

What Can You Expect from Ameriprise’s First Settlement Offer?

In our experience, Ameriprise will initially deny liability or make a lowball settlement offer. Ameriprise is not an insurer that lets many personal injury claims go to trial. But you typically have to hit insurers like this with a few punches before you get to or beyond fair value.

How Do You Determine the Settlement Value of an Ameriprise Car Accident Injury Claim?

The insurance company can make whatever settlement offer it wants. But it does not have any impact on the true settlement value of a claim is. The best place to start to understand how much settlement compensation you deserve in your case is to research the value of the type of injury you have suffered.

How Long Do I Have to Bring a Personal Injury Claim Against Ameriprise or One of the Company’s Insured?

In Maryland, the statute of limitations for a personal injury claim is typically three years.

Who Are the Lawyers Who Defend Ameriprise in Maryland?

Ameriprise does not have in-house lawyers like larger insurers like GEICO, State Farm, or Allstate. So it has to hire outside lawyers. Brault Graham in Rockville is one of the defense firms that handle this insurer’s personal injury lawsuits. Rollins Smalkin in Baltimore is another.

How Do I Find a Lawyer to Fight Back Against Ameriprise?

Our firm has been seeing a lot more Ameriprise cases in past years. Our car accident attorneys are accustomed to their delay tactics and ridiculous defense postures. If you have been in an accident involving an Ameriprise insured, contact us at 1-800-553-8082, or click here for a free evaluation of your case.

More Information on Dealing with Ameriprise

• Ameriprise’s website
• Valuing Personal Injury Cases (how much is your case worth?)
• Handling Personal Injury Claims Without a Lawyer (tips for personal injury victims)
• Handling Your Property Damage Claim (tips for auto accident property damage claims)
• Sample Demand Letter
• Personal Injury Frequently Asked Questions (questions about handling claims against State Farm and other car insurance companies)
• Help Center (samples of everything you might need to prepare and try a civil case)