Allstate Auto Insurance Claims in Columbia, SC

Allstate Insurance claims can be complicated. It’s easy to accidentally get short-changed on your settlement or even lose money. That’s where an attorney comes in. An expert can ensure you get the full value of your claim and that it goes through quickly with no complications.

Allstate is listed as the “Worst Insurance Company” in America by Consumer Reports. This is because of several factors, including their claim process and customer service. When you need to file an insurance claim with Allstate, it’s essential that you have the right kind of representation on your side.

At The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, our Columbia car accident attorneys are committed to helping our clients get the money they deserve when someone else’s negligence has injured them. With more than 100 years of combined experience, we know how to fight for our client’s rights and ensure they’re not taken advantage of by insurance companies with a reputation for being difficult to work with.

Insurance agent photographing damage after car crash during  inspecting damaged automobile for claim form

What to Do After a Car Accident in Columbia, South Carolina

If you’ve been in a car accident in Columbia, South Carolina, it’s important to know what to do next. The sooner you get help from an experienced attorney, the better off you’ll be. Here are some steps to take:

  • Get yourself checked out by emergency medical personnel immediately after the accident.
  • Notify law enforcement immediately and file an official report about what happened.
  • Take pictures of any damage caused by the accident (including your own vehicle).
  • Gather evidence showing how the accident happened, including witness statements and police accident reports.
  • Contact an experienced personal injury attorney in Columbia to discuss your options and learn more about your rights as a victim of car accidents in South Carolina.

Filing an Auto Insurance Claim With Allstate

Allstate uses Colossus software to determine the dollar amount for your auto accident claim. Colossus is a claims database with data on hundreds of thousands of past auto claims and their outcomes. Insurance adjusters enter requested information, and Colossus uses it to create a value range for the claim. 

Injury codes describe the exact injuries documented in your medical records and treated; however, if the injury is not documented in the records, it will likely not be considered. Additional data they may collect regarding medical care include: 

  • The first date of treatment
  • Names of your medical providers
  • Type and duration of medical care
  • Costs of medical care in South Carolina
  • The specialty of your medical providers

Colossus also considers other factors when evaluating medical care, such as: 

  • Whether an attorney was involved in the referral 
  • Medical liens
  • Use of a seatbelt 
  • Other factors regarding the case

Liability in Allstate Insurance Claims

It’s important to note that South Carolina is a modified comparative negligence state. If you are found to be partially at fault for an accident, your claim will be reduced by the percentage of your responsibility.

You can recover damages if you are not more than 51% at fault. For example, if you caused 20% of the damages and another driver caused 80%, your claim would be reduced by 20%. 

The system Allstate uses to determine claim offers, Colossus, does not analyze fault. It only determines the estimated value range of a case by assuming liability and assessing only the damages. The adjuster may reduce that amount if they determine Plaintiff to be partially at fault. 

This is where things get tricky. After your accident information has been analyzed, Allstate’s adjusters may try to attribute some blame to you – even if you were not determined to be at fault. If you have evidence that proves otherwise, such as an eyewitness statement, it will help maximize your claim.

Female Driver Making Phone Call After Traffic Accident, looking at the accident

Low Settlement Offers From Allstate

Allstate has a reputation as an insurance company that fights cases where the damage to the vehicle does not appear to be a severe impact. They classify these claims as MIST Claims (Minor Impact Soft Tissue.) Once a claim is under this classification, Allstate may offer you a low settlement offer, forcing you to file a lawsuit and take the case to trial to get the compensation you deserve. 

Why You Should Hire a Lawyer for Your Allstate Insurance Claim

Working with any insurance company is difficult, and the process can be frustrating. You need an experienced attorney who knows how to navigate the legal system and get you the compensation you deserve. Whether you have been injured in a car accident or have suffered from an illness, hiring a lawyer is essential to ensuring that your claim is handled correctly.

Lawyers Are Experts in the Law

In the majority of cases, you can expect your attorney to be able to apply the law and help you make the most of it. Lawyers are experts in this area because they’ve had extensive training that gives them knowledge and experience beyond what regular people have. For example, lawyers understand the laws that apply to your situation. They know how to read those laws and use them to work in your favor when filing a claim against an insurance company like Allstate.

Insurance Companies are Experts at Saving Money

Insurance companies are experts at saving money. They have teams of people devoted to this task and are good at it. The insurer will try to get out of paying you what your claim is worth so that it doesn’t have to pay more in premiums, which means less profit for them. It’s important that when processing your claims, an expert is on your side to ensure that you receive the full value of your damages and nothing less.

Your Lawyer Will Help You Get the Compensation You Deserve

Getting lost in the claims process is easy when you deal with Allstate insurance. You may not know what to ask for or how to ensure you are getting the best deal possible.

Your attorney will help you negotiate a settlement for your claim and walk you through every step of your case so that nothing gets missed. An attorney familiar with Allstate insurance can help ensure that every angle of your case has been covered and your rights are protected throughout each step of the process. 

Two Drivers Arguing After Traffic Accident looking at damage

Contact a Columbia Car Accident Attorney at The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor Today

If you want what you deserve, you need an expert on your side to make it happen. Insurance companies have a lot of experience with this kind of thing and know how to get what they want. That’s why having an attorney on your side is so important. You need someone who knows the ins and outs of the law, can negotiate well with other parties, and knows how to fight for justice when necessary.

At The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, we have the experience and knowledge to help you get what you deserve. We have experience with many cases, including personal injury, premises liability, and wrongful death.. Our team will fight for your rights and ensure that every angle of your case has been covered. You can rest assured that we will do everything possible to help you get the compensation you deserve. Contact us for your free consultation today.

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Notice of Data Security Event
Updated March 28, 2025

The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor is providing notice of an event that may affect certain individuals’ information. Although we have no indication of identity theft or fraud in relation to this event, we are providing information about the event, our response, and additional measures individuals can take to help protect their information, should they feel it appropriate to do so.

What Happened? On October 28, 2024, The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor identified suspicious activity related to our email system. We quickly took steps to investigate and determined that an unknown actor may have accessed certain emails within our email system between August 7 and November 7, 2024. We then conducted a comprehensive review of the potentially affected emails and attachments to determine what information was contained therein and to whom the information related, which was completed on February 25, 2025. Unfortunately, we were unable to verify the addresses of certain affected individuals, so we are providing this notice to ensure potentially affected individuals receive information about the event.

What Information Was Involved? The information affected may include individuals’ Social Security number, driver’s license and state ID information, financial account number, and health information.

What We Are Doing. We are notifying individuals about this matter and providing guidance about free resources that are available to assist with monitoring relevant accounts, credit reports, and how to place a fraud alert or security freeze on one’s credit file. Further, as with our typical security practices, we will continue to evaluate our policies, procedures, staff training, and technical security measures to reduce the likelihood of an event like this reoccurring.

What Individuals Can Do. We encourage you to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing your account statements and monitoring your free credit reports for suspicious activity and to detect errors. We also recommend you review the below “Steps Individuals Can Take To Help Protect Personal Information”.

For More Information. If individuals have questions about this matter, we have a dedicated assistance line with agents ready to answer their questions. Please contact our toll-free dedicated assistance line at 1-800-939-4170, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. through 9 p.m., excluding holidays. You may also write to us at The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, Attn: Compliance, P.O. Box 2688, Hickory, NC 28603.

Sincerely,

The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor

STEPS INDIVIDUALS CAN TAKE TO HELP PROTECT PERSONAL INFORMATION

Monitor Your Accounts

Under U.S. law, a consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. To order a free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. Consumers may also directly contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below to request a free copy of their credit report.

Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended “fraud alert” on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer’s credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer’s credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer’s identity before extending new credit. If consumers are the victim of identity theft, they are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should consumers wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below.

As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a “credit freeze” on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer’s express authorization. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in a consumer’s name without consent. However, consumers should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in their credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application they make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, consumers cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on their credit report. To request a credit freeze, individuals may need to provide some or all of the following information:

1. Full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
2. Social Security number;
3. Date of birth;
4. Addresses for the prior two to five years;
5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver’s license or ID card, etc.); and
7. A copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft if they are a victim of identity theft.

Should consumers wish to place a credit freeze or fraud alert, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:

Equifax Experian TransUnion
https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/ https://www.experian.com/help/

https://www.transunion.com/credit-help
1-888-298-0045 1-888-397-3742 1-800-916-8800
Equifax Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 105069 Atlanta, GA 30348-5069 Experian Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 TransUnion Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016
Equifax Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 Experian Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 TransUnion Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 160, Woodlyn, PA 19094

Additional Information

Consumers may further educate themselves regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps they can take to protect their personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or their state attorney general. The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. Consumers can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. Consumers have the right to file a police report if they ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, consumers will likely need to provide some proof that they have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and the relevant state attorney general. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.

For District of Columbia residents, the District of Columbia Attorney General may be contacted at: 400 6th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001; 1-202-442-9828; and oag.dc.gov.

For Maryland residents, the Maryland Attorney General may be contacted at: 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; 1-410-576-6300 or 1-888-743-0023; and https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/.

For New Mexico residents, consumers have rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, such as the right to be told if information in their credit file has been used against them, the right to know what is in their credit file, the right to ask for their credit score, and the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information. Further, pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the consumer reporting bureaus must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information; consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information; access to consumers’ files is limited; consumers must give consent for credit reports to be provided to employers; consumers may limit “prescreened” offers of credit and insurance based on information in their credit report; and consumers may seek damages from violators. Consumers may have additional rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act not summarized here. Identity theft victims and active-duty military personnel have specific additional rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We encourage consumers to review their rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act by visiting www.consumerfinance.gov/f/201504_cfpb_summary_your-rights-under-fcra.pdf, or by writing Consumer Response Center, Room 130-A, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20580.

For New York residents, the New York Attorney General may be contacted at: Office of the Attorney General, The Capitol, Albany, NY 12224-0341; 1-800-771-7755; or https://ag.ny.gov.

For North Carolina residents, the North Carolina Attorney General may be contacted at: 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; 1-877-566-7226 or 1-919-716-6000; and www.ncdoj.gov.

For Rhode Island residents, the Rhode Island Attorney General may be reached at: 150 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903; 1-401-274-4400; and www.riag.ri.gov. Under Rhode Island law, individuals have the right to obtain any police report filed in regard to this event.
STEPS INDIVIDUALS CAN TAKE TO HELP PROTECT A MINOR DEPENDENT’S PERSONAL INFORMATION

Typically, credit reporting agencies do not have a credit report in a minor’s name. To find out if a minor has a credit report or to request a manual search for a minor’s Social Security number each credit bureau has its own process. To learn more about these processes or request these services, consumers may contact the credit bureaus by phone, writing, or online:
Equifax Experian TransUnion
https://www.equifax.com/personal/help/article-list/-/h/a/request-child-credit-report/
https://www.experian.com/help/minor-request.html
https://www.transunion.com/fraud-victim-resources/child-identity-theft

1-800-685-1111 1-888-397-3742 1-800-916-8800
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 P.O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013 P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016

To request information about the existence of a credit file in a minor’s name, search for a minor’s Social Security number, place a security freeze or fraud alert on a minor’s credit report (if one exists), or request a copy of a minor’s credit report consumers may be required to provide the following information:
● A copy of their driver’s license or another government issued identification card, such as a state identification card, etc.;
● Proof of address, such as a copy of a bank statement, utility bill, insurance statement, etc.;
● A copy of the minor’s birth certificate;
● A copy of the minor’s Social Security card;
● The minor’s full name, including middle initial and generation, such as JR, SR, II, III, etc.;
● The minor’s date of birth; and
● The minor’s previous addresses for the past two years.

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