What should I expect from GEICO after an accident?

By Michael Shemtoub, trial attorney, Beverly Law. Updated November 2026.

Beverly Law is not affiliated with GEICO.

Who GEICO is

Berkshire Hathaway’s 2025 annual report on Form 10-K says GEICO is headquartered in Maryland and that its insurance companies include Government Employees Insurance Company. Their main business is private passenger auto insurance in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The filing says GEICO sells “primarily through direct response methods,” meaning online or by phone, and to a lesser extent through agencies. It also puts GEICO third in the national auto market at about 11.6 percent of 2024 written premium (Berkshire Hathaway 2025 Form 10-K).

So there may be no local agent to call; the claim runs through GEICO’s phone line, website and app.

State regulators report GEICO inside the Berkshire Hathaway group, which also counts some smaller Berkshire insurers.

Reporting the claim

GEICO’s claims page says you can report a claim online or in the GEICO Mobile app “in as little as 2 minutes,” and it lists (800) 841-3000 for help. Its four steps are to report, document the damage with guided photos, schedule repairs at a shop you choose, and track the claim (GEICO claims). Save the claim number and the adjuster’s name.

The clock GEICO works under

California’s rules protect both policyholders and people claiming against GEICO’s customers, because “claimant” covers first and third party claimants (10 CCR 2695.2). Texas chapter 542 covers only first-party claims paid directly to the insured. When an insurer liable on such a claim breaks those rules, it owes interest at 18 percent a year plus reasonable attorney’s fees (542.060). Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou.

When GEICO insures the other driver

You are a third-party claimant, and the tools are narrower. California’s Supreme Court held in 1988 that Insurance Code 790.03 gives third-party claimants no private lawsuit for unfair claims practices, though the Insurance Commissioner can still impose administrative sanctions (Moradi-Shalal; Ins. Code 790.03). Texas says its list of unfair settlement practices gives no cause of action to a third party suing an insured (Ins. Code 541.060(b)). Washington’s Insurance Fair Conduct Act is limited to first-party claimants (RCW 48.30.015). What moves the claim is the injury case against the driver, filed on time.

Expect two early requests: a recorded statement, which you can decline or delay until you get advice, and a medical authorization. Under federal privacy rules, a valid authorization must state an expiration date or event and tell you that you can revoke it in writing (45 CFR 164.508). Read it, and limit it to crash-related care. Our page on what not to tell the insurance company covers the call itself.

Repairs, total loss and rental

When a California insurer pays cash for a totaled car, the amount must be based on the actual cost of a comparable automobile and include taxes and one-time transfer fees, and the offer must be itemized and explained in writing (10 CCR 2695.8(b)). Washington’s total-loss rule bases a cash settlement on the actual cash value of a comparable vehicle, less any deductible, and the payment must include applicable government taxes and fees (WAC 284-30-391). In Texas, the Supreme Court held in 2016 that an owner whose property is destroyed may recover loss-of-use damages on top of its value (J&D Towing).

On a rental under your own GEICO policy, the company’s claims page says “Rental coverage varies by policy,” so check your declarations page. Read car totaled when it was not my fault before accepting a valuation.

A Washington court decision involving GEICO

In Kroeber v. GEICO (2016), GEICO denied an underinsured motorist claim from a woman shot from an uninsured truck, saying the injury did not arise out of the truck’s use. The Washington Supreme Court held that an injury arises out of vehicle use when there is a causal connection between the injury and a condition of, attachment to or some aspect of the vehicle, and that the shooter’s intent does not matter (Kroeber).

How to complain to a regulator

• California Department of Insurance: 1-800-927-4357 (CDI consumer help)
• Texas Department of Insurance: 800-252-3439 (TDI complaints)
• Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner: 800-562-6900, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays (OIC complaints)

What this means for your case

Write down the date you reported the claim, then count the days. If GEICO misses a deadline on your own policy, say so in writing and keep a copy. If GEICO insures the other driver, find out how much coverage exists before you make a demand; our page on policy limits explains how. In Texas, check your PIP benefits too, as explained in is Texas a no-fault state.

Common questions

Related pages

Injury law FAQs

Important: This page is general information, not legal or medical advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different; talk to a lawyer about yours. Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou. Last reviewed: November 7, 2026.