Car Accidents
We are lawyers that handle serious injury and wrongful death only claims against Gallagher Bassett. So our attorneys are not handled workers’ comp on minor injury claims against Gallagher Bassett. Just claims throughout the country where there has been an extremely serious injury or wrongful death. If you have such a case, our attorneys can help you.
Who Is Gallagher Bassett?
Our law firm has handled a number of cases where the claims adjuster was Gallagher Bassett Service, Inc. Many people – including lawyers – negotiating claims with GB just assume they are an insurance company. Gallagher Bassett is not an insurance company, but it operates as a “third-party administrator.” This means that they handle the claims process for businesses that are self-insured.
In other words, Gallagher Bassett serves as a “rent an insurance adjuster” for smaller insurance companies and businesses, hospitals and schools that are self-insured. Hartford Financial Services Group, Catholic schools and charities, Lafarge North America and many Maryland schools are just a few of the thousands of clients Gallagher represents.
It is continually increasing its customer base, extending to small and mid-size business. For those and other clients, Gallagher Bassett will handle the claims process for automobile accidents, workers’ compensation cases, premises liability (including slip and falls) and other injuries. In 2019, the company launched GB Specialty to focus on more specialized claims like medical malpractice and other high-exposure claims.
The purpose of this page is to give you information on this third-party adjuster so you know who you are facing and to give you information that will make it less likely that Gallagher Bassett will be able to rip you off in your insurance or workers’ compensation claim.
Background
The company was formed in 1962 and now has approximately 3,400 clients, 4,500 employees and 100 offices in the United States. They do many of the things that traditional insurance companies do: field investigations after reports of an accident, setting reserves for claims, coordinate with lawyers defending their clients’ claims, and working towards a settlement.
The main difference between Gallagher Bassett and a typical insurer is that these adjusters Bassett compete for their clients’ business, so they have an extra incentive to save money in settlements, perhaps more incentive than the average insurance agent.
Many Gallagher Bassett adjusters work from home so they should be well positioned to keep moving forward in spite of the coronvirus pandemic.
Competition
Gallagher Bassett is one of the top third-party administrators by revenue. According to Business Insurance, the following third-party insurance companies were ranked by revenue for claims handled for self-insured clients:
- Sedgwick Claims Management Services, Inc.: $808,152,678
- Gallagher Bassett Services, Inc.: $401,900,000
- UMR, Inc.: $393,949,776
- Broadspire Services, Inc.: $236,467,690
- ESIS, Inc.: $195,400,000
- Meritain Health: $193,000,000
- CoreSource, Inc.: $ 86,619,141
- York Risk Services Group Inc.: $ 86,000,000
- Wells Fargo: $ 74,512,426
- Canon Cochran Management Services: $ 67,500,000
GB is also the second-largest third-party administrator for workers’ compensation claims (calculated by revenue paid for claims), just after Sedgwick. In Maryland, our lawyers see Gallagher Bassett more frequently than we see Sedgwick in accident claims.
Litigation
Are you banging your head against the wall dealing with Gallagher Bassett? We have earned tens of millions of dollars for victims by fighting every single case like it was our last case. Can we help you? Call 800-553-8082 or get a free online consultation. Our firm handles only serious injury cases.
In addition to dealing with pre-litigation claims, Gallagher Bassett also may be called to help with cases in litigation (after a lawsuit has been filed). Their legal management services division assists companies in controlling the costs of litigation by providing bill review and budgeting guidance.
Gallagher Bassett helps its clients evaluate the efficacy of lawsuits and the effectiveness of law firms who provide the defense. This means that even if a settlement was not possible before a lawsuit was filed, it might still be possible to get a superior outcome in the future before trial.
The problem with Gallagher Bassett is not even so much the company as it is the company that hires them. Companies that outsource their claims adjusting often have unrealistic views as to the fair settlement values of the case. In these cases, if you are an accident victim or an injured worker that wants to get full value for your case, you have no choice but to file a lawsuit or bring a comp claim.
Dealing with Gallagher Bassett on Injury Settlement Claims Before Filing Lawsuits
If you are reading this because you tried to deal with Gallagher Bassett on your own but you feel like you are banging your head up against a wall, you are not alone. Many of our clients tried to handle their own case on their own without a lawyer only to understand that without any real threat of a lawsuit or a workers’ compensation hearing, reasoning with GB is futile.
There are exceptions to this rule. GB will craft how aggressive their strategy around their client. But, generally speaking, our lawyers find that it is hard to settle an accident or workers’ compensation claim with Gallagher Bassett. Why? Because they are always trying to score points with their client by paying less for a claim than it is worth. While their adjusters are competent, they seem to have little independent authority.
Victims that deal with GB on their own seem to struggle with getting their car in for a repairs appointment promptly and struggle to get a hold of the insurance adjuster who is always “out until next week.” Our lawyers have not had these kinds of problems with GB. But we have heard the stories from so many clients that they are hard to ignore.
The key for accident attorneys is to flush them out to find out what their maximum settlement authority is on the file and then figure out whether that works for your client. More often than not, the answer is no and a lawsuit is the only solution.
Dealing with Gallagher Bassett Services on Injury Settlement Claims After a Lawsuit is Filed
GB typically gets more reasonable after a lawsuit is filed or a comp hearing is set. Companies using Gallagher do not have in-house counsel to defend their cases. So attorneys’ fees become an issue after a lawsuit has been filed.
This reality allows Gallagher Bassett’s client to get serious about evaluating the case before it goes to the next level. Again, this is a broad generalization that varies by company and by the advice, and evaluation GB is giving on the settlement value of the claim.
Contacting Gallagher Bassett
Gallagher Bassett’s phone number in Maryland is (410) 910-7100 or 800-448-0077. You can send a fax to (410) 992-9087. You can contact them by mail at:
P.O. Box 2007
Columbia, MD 21045
Please think twice before having any communications with an insurer or third-party claims adjuster. Think three times before putting anything in writing or giving a recorded statement. Consider contacting a lawyer first.
Hiring a Lawyer to Take on Gallagher Bassett
If you have been injured in an accident in Maryland are you are looking to get the best possible outcome for your claim, call us. Our phone number is 800-553-8082. Rather chat online first? Get a free case evaluation online.
More Information on Dealing with Gallagher Bassett in Injury Cases
- Valuing Personal Injury Cases (inside information on figuring out how much money a case is worth)
- Handling Your Claim Without a Lawyer
- Handling Your Property Damage Claim (tips for how to maximize the settlement value of auto accident property damage claims)
- Four Sample Demand Letters
- Personal Injury Frequently Asked Questions (questions about handling claims against State Farm and other car insurers)
- Help Center: Struggling to put your case together? You can get free samples here of anything you might need to put together a tort case from start to finish.