Car Accidents
The article gives both attorneys and victims information on State Auto Mutual Group to help maximize the value of motor vehicle crash injury cases.
Overview of This Insurer
State Auto Financial Corporation is the umbrella that owns State Auto Mutual. Founded in 1921, this Columbus, an Ohio-based company is a large publicly traded company on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
State Auto has a truckload of related businesses in addition to the auto division we primarily deal with in Maryland: State Auto Ohio, State Auto Wisconsin, State Auto Property & Casualty, Milbank, Meridian Security, Patrons Mutual, Litchfield Mutual Fire, Meridian Citizens Mutual, Rockhill Insurance, Plaza Insurance, Bloomington Compensation, and American Compensation.
In Maryland, State Auto ranks 15th in market share which accounts for less than 1% of the market in our state. Still, State Auto funds an in-house office in Maryland to defend cases where they don’t expect there is a grave risk that the judgment will exceed the policy limits.
Settlement with State Auto in Motor Tort Cases
State Auto does not make good settlement offers before trial. Their adjusters are tough, and they often push you to file suit. But State Auto does not seem eager to go to trial and will pay fair value for cases before letting a case go to the jury. What does this mean? It means you often have to sue a State Auto insured if you want to maximize the value of your injury case.
What is the basis for this opinion? Two things. First, our own experience. Our last case with State Auto involved no settlement offer until we filed suit. Zero. The adjuster evidently thought the case was worthless. Before trial, the offer went from zero to $135,000. No new facts were uncovered. It was what we thought it was. What changed was the trial date was rapidly approaching.
Second reason why we think this insurer tends to reevaluate cases dramatically before trial is by looking at jury verdict reports. You just do not see State Auto taking very many verdicts.
Who Defends Lawsuits Against State Auto?
We are not afraid of State Auto. In our last major case against them (2014), they made no offer before we filed suit. But we believed in the client and the case settled before trial. If you have a serious injury motor tort case, let Miller & Zois fight back for you. Call 800-553-8082 or get an online consultation.
Most State Auto lawsuits in Maryland are defended by O’Conor, Grant & Samuels, a law firm located in Towson. This sounds like a regular law firm but the lawyers at this firm – there are three – are all employees of State Auto. Why don’t they just say that? Well, you do not want to tell the insurance company at trial that you are a law firm that works for this insurance company, and the jury is never told, except in an uninsured motorist case, that the defendant has auto insurance.
In the State Auto cases our office has had, we have primarily dealt with Herb O’Conor who is the managing partner. Our experiences with him over the last ten years or so has been very good. He is also well respected by other plaintiffs’ attorneys in the community.
Claims Phone Number and Address in Maryland
State Auto has it claims office in Pennsylvania. You can find them here:
49 Ritter Road P.O. Box 2006
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055717-697-1121
You can find their in-house counsel in Maryland here:
O’Conor, Grant & Samuels
401 Washington Avenue, Suite 400
Towson, Maryland 21204
410-832-2883
410-832-2780 (fax)
Sample State Auto Settlement Amounts and Jury Payouts
Below are verdicts and out-of-court settlements in motor vehicle accident cases involving either State Auto as a defendant – most likely an uninsured motorist case – or cases against this insurance carrier’s insured. Hopefully, these verdicts can inform your opinion on the value of similar cases. But you have to remember that every claim is different, even those that sound the same in a short synopsis. Keep in mind that every case is different and one does not predict the outcome of another.
You can learn more about this insurance company here.
- Maryland: $135,000 Settlement: A sweet 76-year-old who did not speak English was walking through a church parking lot in Parkville (Baltimore County) and was run over by a driver rounding a blind corner. She suffered a knee fracture. State Auto denied that the woman was even hit and refused to make any settlement offer before a lawsuit was filed. The insurance company hired Dr. Stanley Friedler as their expert. Plaintiff’s experts were the doctors who treated the patient. After discovery, the case settled in 2014 for $135,000. [Get more knee fracture verdicts.]
- Maryland: $250,000 Verdict: Rear end accident case. Plaintiff suffered a herniated disc in his lower back that leads to a staph infection. State Auto used Dr. Ronald Cohen as their defense expert. [Get more on herniated disc verdicts.]
- Maryland: $42,000 Settlement: Plaintiff was rear-ended at a traffic light in Baltimore County by a driver who was – surprise! – talking on a cell phone. The problem with the case was that the Plaintiff had more than 60 chiropractor visits in the ten years before the accident complaining of similar pain. State Auto used Dr. Louis Halikman to refute Plaintiff’s claim that the crash caused a new disc herniation at L4-L5 and an annular tear. Plaintiff also claimed aggravation of preexisting disc herniations in his neck and back. The jury split the baby on this one after only an hour of deliberation, awarding $17,000 for past medicals; $25,000 for future medical bills, and $0 for pain and suffering. The zero on pain and suffering is a hard one to swallow logically.
- Maryland: $67,000 Settlement: Plaintiffs, husband and wife, are traveling on a motorcycle when Defendant Driver makes a left-hand turn in front of the Plaintiffs, causing a collision. The wife sustains primarily soft tissue injuries, while the husband sustains a torn left meniscus, left lateral epicondylitis, and right ulnar nerve entrapment. The husband undergoes surgery and claims permanency for his injuries. The combined initial offer was $33,000. The reason for the low offer? A lot of preexisting injuries. But case settles before trial for a combined amount of $67,000.
- You can get more Miller & Zois verdicts here.
Our Lawyers Can Help You with Your Accident Claim
Our firm has handled hundreds of auto accident claims involving State Farm. If you have been hurt in a traffic collision, and you are up against this insurer, call our attorneys at 800-553-8082 or click here for a free consultation.
More Information on Your Case
- Just how much is your case is worth?
- A guide if you are trying to handle your auto tort claim – hopefully a smaller case where you might not need help – without an attorney
- Property damage claims
- Sample demand letter
- Car accident frequently asked questions (questions about handling claims against State Auto and other car insurance companies)
- Get the inside scoop on more insurance companies