Talking to a COUNTRY Financial adjuster?
Before you sign anything or give a recorded statement, call (312) 222-0202 or start a free case review. You will speak with an attorney, not a call center.
Your local agent and the claims adjuster are not the same person
Many COUNTRY Financial customers buy their policy through a local agent they've known for years. After a crash, it's natural to call that agent first. Agents can help you report the claim and explain your coverage, but injury claims are evaluated and paid by the company's claims staff, not by your agent.
That matters whether COUNTRY insures you or the other driver. If COUNTRY insures the driver who hit you, its adjuster's job is to evaluate the claim for the company and its policyholder. If COUNTRY is your own insurer, your policy sets out what you're owed, and a friendly agent can't promise how the claim will be valued.
- Report the crash promptly, as your policy likely requires
- Ask for your full policy, including the declarations page, in writing
- Keep notes of every call: date, who you spoke with, and what was said
- Don't assume a conversation with your agent protects your claim or pauses any deadline
Recorded statements and early offers
If the other driver is insured by COUNTRY, you are not legally required to give their adjuster a recorded statement. Answers given in the first days after a crash, before you've seen a specialist, can later be used to argue that you were partly at fault or not badly hurt.
If COUNTRY is your own insurer, your policy likely requires you to cooperate, so talk with a lawyer about what the call will cover first. And before accepting any settlement, remember that it almost always means signing a release that ends your claim for good, including injuries that show up later.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist claims under your COUNTRY policy
If the driver who hit you had no insurance, fled the scene, or had limits too low to cover your injuries, your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may apply. In that claim, COUNTRY is evaluating a claim against its own policy, and the interests of the company and its customer don't always line up.
Illinois uninsured motorist coverage typically sends disputes to arbitration (215 ILCS 5/143a). If your own insurer's delay in handling a covered claim is vexatious and unreasonable, Section 155 of the Insurance Code may allow added penalties and attorney fees. Illinois also lists improper claims practices, such as failing to respond to claim communications promptly (215 ILCS 5/154.6), and you can report an insurer to the Illinois Department of Insurance.
Fault, deadlines, and why to talk to Attorney Voss Skoullos early
Illinois uses modified comparative fault (735 ILCS 5/2-1116). Your compensation is reduced by your share of fault, and if you're found more than 50% responsible, you recover nothing. Expect fault to be one of the most negotiated points in any claim.
Most injured people have two years from the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit in Illinois (735 ILCS 5/13-202), and negotiating with an insurer doesn't pause that clock. Claims involving a public body can have much shorter deadlines. Attorney Voss Skoullos personally handles the cases LawMachine takes, so you'll be talking with the lawyer who would handle your claim.
Frequently asked questions — COUNTRY Financial claims
Should I let my COUNTRY agent handle my injury claim?
Your agent can help you report the claim and explain your coverage, but injury claims are evaluated by the company's claims staff. Talk with a lawyer before giving a recorded statement or accepting a settlement.
Can I sue COUNTRY Financial directly after an Illinois car accident?
Usually not. In Illinois, an injury lawsuit is generally filed against the at-fault driver, and that driver's insurer defends and pays on their behalf. Claims under your own COUNTRY policy, such as uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, follow your policy terms and often go to arbitration.
Sources
LawMachine is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by COUNTRY Financial. COUNTRY Financial is a trademark of its owner and is used here only to identify the insurer. This page is general information, not legal advice, and every case is different.