Costco is a multi-national chain of membership only stores, famous for their selection of organic and gourmet foods, along with many other products you would expect from a big-box store. Costco stores are massive in size and are set up more like a warehouse than a store. For example, the shelves are higher and more densely packed than the ones you would see at a standard retailer. Additionally, there are many floor displays of heavy, stacked items, not to mention pallets and forklifts that are often unattended. When you bring a steady stream of customers into the mix, it’s inevitable that an accident will occur.
If you were injured at a Costco store, you have most likely filed an accident report by now and spoken to an insurance adjuster in order to initiate a claim. Chances are, you’ve received a response after weeks or months of waiting, and you’re not happy with the settlement you’ve been offered.
At this point, you’re wondering about your legal options and the best way to handle a settlement offer that’s insufficient for your needs. First, we want to assure you that this is perfectly normal, as the first offer by an insurance company is almost always lower than what you deserve. Second, there are ways to negotiate a higher settlement and ensure that you can cover your losses after a Costco accident. You can also take action against Costco’s insurance company if they’re deliberately holding up your claim or payment.
If you’re in need of strong and effective legal representation following an accident at a Costco store, please contact Normadie Law Firm and schedule a free consultation.
Costco Offered me a Lower Settlement – What do I do?
We completely understand how upsetting this is, but as lawyers, we always expect a low offer the first time around. Costco is the world’s fifth largest retailer, and they didn’t get that way by paying out every insurance claim that comes their way. That’s why they hire a third party administrator with lawyers and insurance adjusters, who are expertly trained to deny or minimize an injury claim.
At this point, you may be thinking about calling the insurance adjuster and pleading with them to see things from your point of view. However, please resist the urge to contact them directly. Frankly, they are counting on this and will do whatever they can to exploit your emotions. Many victims are tricked into giving a recorded statement or saying something that can be used to invalidate their claim. Or, they end up agreeing to a low offer out of fear that it’s better to get something than nothing at all. This is not true as settlements can always be negotiated, but insurance companies have their ways of pressuring vulnerable victims into accepting the first offer.
To ensure that you are not taken advantage of, contact a lawyer that’s experienced with premises liability lawsuits. Our lawyers have been handling Costco injury cases for many years and know what it takes to win a case for monetary compensation. Here are just some of the accidents that we can assist you with:
- Slip and falls
- Trip and falls
- Falling displays
- Collapsing shelves
- Broken step / stair injuries
- Assault and battery
- Food poisoning
- Car accidents
- Injuries from defective automatic doors
- Burns and other injuries from chemical spills
Can a Lawyer Advise me on how to Settle my Costco case?
A personal injury lawyer is the best source of advice on how to settle your Costco accident case. Many people think of lawyers as a last resort, but it’s best to consult an attorney as soon as possible.
Once you retain our services, we can handle the entire claims process for you, beginning with a demand letter to ask for the damages you’re entitled to. We will back up your claim with solid evidence and legal knowledge, which will make it difficult for Costco to argue their way out of paying you. The insurance company will certainly try to offer you as little as possible. But we will send back a counteroffer and negotiate a fair amount for the value of your losses. As for how many offers and counteroffers it will take to settle your claim, that all depends on Costco’s willingness to play fair.
Our lawyers settle the majority of Costco cases within the first year, with many of them settling in the first six months after the filing of a claim. However, much of the timeline is not within our control, as all correspondences between us and Costco have to be done in writing. You must also keep in mind that insurance companies for big-box retailers are dealing with thousands of claims at a time. Thus, it takes around 3 to 6 weeks before we hear back from one of these companies.
Our Recent Verdicts and Settlements
$500,000
$599,000
$1.5 Million
$600,000
$525,000
$250,000
If Costco won’t Compromise on a Settlement, Can I file a Lawsuit?
Yes, if Costco keeps denying liability or refuses to negotiate a fair settlement, you can sue file a lawsuit against them for your physical and emotional injuries. There’s a lot of work to be done in order to justify a lawsuit, so you will most certainly need an attorney during this process.
When we file a lawsuit on a client’s behalf, we are essentially preparing for a trial. The preparations for a trial are extensive, as we will need to conduct medical assessments, a thorough case investigation, and depose witnesses that can support your case. However, negotiations usually continue even once a lawsuit is filed, and 95% of retail injury cases are settled without the need for a trial. Still, that possibility is always there, which is why you must choose an attorney with the right amount of trial experience.
Can I file a Complaint against Costco’s Insurance Company?
An official complaint can be filed against an insurance company when they act in bad faith in order to delay or deny your claim. The agency you would need to contact is the California Department of Insurance, which is responsible for regulating insurance companies that operate in the state of California. Bad faith insurance complaints can be filed for a number of reasons, including:
- Denying a claim without a clear and/or legitimate reason.
- Delaying claim approvals or release of payments that have been approved.
- Imposing unreasonable conditions (additional paperwork, for ex.) to avoid paying out a claim.
- Refusing to pay when the injury / property damage is clearly covered by the policy.
- Not releasing an approved payment in a timely manner.
An investigation by the California Department of Insurance may be enough to stop Costco’s insurers from playing their games. You may also have grounds to file a bad faith lawsuit, which you can discuss with one of our attorneys. Many people want to pursue a lawsuit, as there are cases where people have won large settlements by taking their chances in court. But that’s not the case for everybody, so you’ll want to weigh the pros and cons of initiating this type of lawsuit. To learn more about your options if an insurance company is acting in bad faith, schedule a free case evaluation with the lawyers of Normandie.
My Lawyer is Pressuring me to Settle – What can I do?
This is not surprising, as many lawyers are eager to wrap up a case and move on to the next one on their list. Unfortunately, settling for a low offer never works out well for the client, which is why California laws allow you to switch attorneys, even with a pending lawsuit. If you feel pressured to settle your case when you’re not happy with Costco’s offer, contact our office and schedule a free second opinion.
Our lawyers can verify whether your settlement is indeed too low, and what your options are for obtaining a more favorable award. If we sound like the right law firm for you, we will take all the necessary steps to transfer your case and notify the court of your change in counsel. However, you may also decide that staying with your current lawyer is right for you. Regardless of what you decide, your second opinion is completely free, so there is nothing to lose in taking some time to speak with our attorneys.
Contact Normandie Law Firm
Considering the amount of money Costco makes off their customers, there’s no excuse for them to deny a claim when someone has an accident on their premises. But we know all about the tough road claimants have ahead of them when they’ve been injured at a Costco location. Even if Costco is willing to pay, the amount is usually too low to cover the losses that were sustained by the victim. Legal representation is the key to recovering a fair compensation award, which is why you should contact the lawyers of Normandie.
You have nothing to lose by giving us a call, since there is no upfront payment for our services. We work on contingency, so the only way we get paid is if you get paid. And if we lose your case, you will not be responsible for any legal fees as a promise under our Zero fee guarantee. Our contingency fee structure applies to second opinion clients as well, so don’t hesitate to speak with us if you’re unhappy with your current lawyer.
We look forward to speaking with you during a free consultation or free second opinion. Please contact our office if you need assistance with a personal injury claim against Costco.
