American Family Insurance  Claims

This Web-page provides:

1. Essential contact information (Address, e-mail, phone numbers, links) for your claim
2. Reviews for American Family Insurance
3. Information on American Family Insurance Company
4. Steps to take to get full claim value
5. Criteria to decide whether you need a lawyer.

Contact Information for American Family Insurance

 General Customer Service:

1-800-692-6326

6000 American Parkway

Madison, WI 53783

Website for American Family Insurance Claims 

Information you will need to File an American Family Insurance Claim

• Your name, address and phone number
• American Family Insurance policy number
• Date and time of your loss
• Brief description of what happened
• Insurance and contact information for others involved

Criteria to Choose the Best Lawyer for your American Family Insurance Accident Claim

• Success Rate
• Cost
• Reputation

Success Rate: The attorneys at Hamilton & Associates are familiar with the claims practices, requirements, specifications, and tactics of American Family Mutual Insurance Company. We do this for a living and our job to maximize the amount of recovery coming to you. We operate by a simple philosophy: The more money you make; the more money we make.

The goal is that you will have more money for your accident claim reimbursement than you would handling the case alone. Better still, there will be less administrative work for you and less to learn because we are handling your case.

We have been handling American Family Insurance claims since 1969, which means we have been settling accident cases with American Family Insurance for over four decades. Increasing your success rate by using the services and experience of our lawyers is to your advantage.

Costs / Fees / Price: Insurance companies know that, on average, a settlement without a lawyer is worth much less than a settlement with a lawyer. We do not charge hourly for our services. Rather, we are hired typically on a contingent fee basis. This means we take a portion of the settlement. The higher the settlement; the more money you make, the more money we make.

This is similar to a partnership where we employee our professionalism and experience to benefit you. The contracts are always arranged so that you make more money than we do. If we do not recover; you do not pay.

Reputation: The trial attorneys at Hamilton & Associates have successfully settled accident claims at American Family Insurance for nearly five decades. We have won many jury trials against American Family’s lawyers and they are well aware of our reputation as the top experienced, professional lawyers in the Kansas City Metropolitan area.

Our reputation gives you several advantages. For example, your case is more likely to settle because the insurer knows our experience, work ethic, and knowledge of its system will benefit you (you are no longer an easy target). Also, the insurer knows your case is worth more with you as part of our team. Therefore, you are more likely to get a higher settlement amount. Most of all, you will do less work as we are employing our skills to benefit you.

The History of American Family Insurance

American Family Mutual Insurance Company was founded in 1927 by Herman Wittwer in Madison, Wisconsin. It was primarily set up as a bulwark against the farmer’s insurers. American Family focused on protecting non-farmers.

In the 1930’s, American Family’s predecessor merged with Farmer’s Mutual Insurer to create State Farm Mutual Insurance Company of Madison, Wisconsin. Through the 1940’s, State Farm Mutual of Madison was renamed Farmer’s Mutual Insurance Company of Wisconsin.

Accident and sickness insurance was introduced in the 1950’s. In 1958, a significant change occurred when the corporation introduced homeowner’s insurance, opening up what is known as “American Family Life Insurance Company.” In 1963, the name was changed to American Family Mutual Insurance Company.

In 1975, American Family Insurance first introduced its commercial line of auto insurance. It became the fifth largest mutual insurer of automobiles thereafter. By 1977, it had over two million policies and over two thousand insurance agents.

By 1981 American Family Insurance had over a billion dollars in assets.

Just how big IS American Family Insurance?

Today, American Family Insurance is the second largest insurer for accident insurance in Missouri (behind State Farm). It is the 315th largest company in the Fortune 500 with revenues of 8.8 billion dollars.  It owns 22.6 billion dollars in assets.

American Family Insurance automobile coverage has a 34% market share, earns $401 billion dollars in the premiums collected annually with only $226 million dollars in losses. That is profit. Its total cumulative market share is 12%.

Reviews: Is American Family Insurance a “Good” Company against which to make an accident claim?

Reviews for American Family Insurance are mixed, but low compared to other insurers.

• Consumer Affairs gives it 1 1/2 out of 5 Stars.
• The Better Business Bureau give American Family Insurance 3 1/2 out of 5 Stars.
• Credit Karma ranks is 1 out of 5 Stars.
• Yelp ranks American Family Insurance at 1 1/2 out of 5 Stars.
• Consumer Reports gives American Family an 89 or 15th best insurer.
• There is even a dedicated “pissed customer” website.

Complaints:  The Missouri Department of Insurance keeps track of complaints against insurance companies. American Family Mutual Insurance Company has received the second highest number of complaints of any insurance company out of the 192 insurance companies in Missouri that are followed. It received 4,179 complaints for its Accident Insurance and 2,167 complaints for its Auto insurance.  That figure represents a lot of complaints.

(Note that most complaints are against State Farm Mutual Auto Insurance Company with the third being Geico.)

We believe the significance of the complaint index illustrates the importance of hiring an accident claims attorney for your American Family Mutual Insurance claim. For every official complaint, it is reasonable to assume there are many who have complaints but do not make formal documentation with the Department of Insurance of Missouri. We at Hamilton & Associates wish to prevent any problem by helping you with your American Family accident claim.

How do I file an American Family Accident Insurance Claim?

Accident claims through American Family Insurance should primarily be made through your own lawyer, such as Hamilton & Associates. Let us do the work for you. We believe you will have a better settlement, receive the settlement faster, and with less trouble and headache or complaints in the end.

For complaints by one’s self, one should call the auto, home, or business insurance claims office of American Family Insurance at 1-800-MYAMFAM (1-800-692-6326). One can also contact an American Family Insurance agent. Their contact information should be on the auto insurance card you exchanged just after your accident.

One can also report the claim on-line. American Family’s Website address is www.amfam.com. You will need to have the following information about your insured:

1. First and last name
2. Date of birth
3. State of residence
4. Insurance policy number

American Family Insurance agents can be reached or tracked down at 1-888-755-3064. Written claims can be sent to:

American Family Mutual Insurance Company
6000 American Parkway
Madison, Wisconsin 53783

We urgently request that you contact our law offices for any significant claims as attempting to handle your case alone at first can prejudice you and reduce the value of your claim later on.

What do I need to know for my American Family Insurance accident claim?

Car accidents are a common cause of complaints and claims for settlement by American Family Insurance. Let us assume that you have a car crash. If this happens, you will need to know the following information:

1. The details and frequency of your pain and suffering.
2. Ask your physician how much future limitation you will have. Write it down and make it available for us.
3. Estimate how much your future medical bills are expected to be.
4. Write down what your doctor tells you as to the future medical care you will require.
5. Write down the precise injuries you received from your auto accident.
6. Get all your medical bills from the various providers who have treated you.
7. Get a complete copy of your medical records.

Do I get reimbursement for my missed Employment Loss from my accident?

Ask your employer for copies of your pay stubs for several months preceding your auto accident.   Then get all of your pay stubs to the present. If you work on commission you will need that information too. These documents can be included by our lawyers for an American Family Insurance claim.

Yes, you are entitled to reimbursement for your employment loss.

How do I get my maximum value for my auto accident claim with American Family?

Do not be fooled by those who will tell you your claim value is easily calculated.  There is no easy claim value formula.  There has never been an easy claim value formula.  True claim value is a combination of factors.  Claim value changes with time.

What Factors Affect my Claim’s Value?

Insurers should, in the end, pay what a reasonable jury would award you if you were to file a lawsuit and bring it to a verdict in your particular jurisdiction.  Insurance claim value considerations include:

• Average jury verdicts in your area
• The cost of your past medical treatment bills
• The cost of your past medical treatment; what was actually paid
• The amount of medical bills remaining outstanding
• Whether there are liens against your case (ERISA, Medicare, Medicaid, hospital, etc.)
• The cost of your future medical treatment
• The presence or absence of health insurance
• How good of a witness you are
• How good of bad a witness the opposing party is
• Whether there is comparative fault (are you blameless)
• Whether the at-fault party did something offensive
• The quality of your witnesses as to your disability and pain
• The quality of your treating physician as a witness
• The quality of your judge
• Case and Statute laws pertinent to your case
• The quality of the insurance attorneys who will oppose you
• The quality of your attorney

A lawyer on your side is the best method to get full value for you American Family Insurance settlement. Knowing and avoiding the pitfalls is important. Gathering all the documents and evidence American Family will want to value your claim (but may not tell you about) is critical.

Most importantly, the insurer will need to know that you can file suit in Circuit Court and claim the full, larger judgment you are entitled to if it does not abide by its contractual obligations to reimburse you for your accident injury.