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Car Accident Secrets Exposed | USAA
Car Accident Secrets Exposed | USAA
USAA offers auto insurance to people in the military and their families. The San Antonio based company is considered one of the big players in the car insurance market. Despite the fact that it provides coverage to the brave men and women that serve the nation, USAA’s main goal is to make money not pay claimants. They are not interested in making payouts to people that are hit by their policy holders. You will need the services of an attorney that has experience negotiating with USAA if you were hit by a military member or a spouse of a military member.
Tricks Used By USAA Adjusters To Limit Your Payout
The adjuster USAA assigns to your claim is only interested in limiting your payout because you getting a smaller payout means they get paid more. The following are some of the tactics they use:
- Gaining your trust: The first thing the adjuster will try to do is to try to gain your trust by making you think they are on your side. Then they will most likely try to convince you that you do not need a lawyer to help you with the claims process.
- Recorded statements: The adjuster may ask you to sign an agreement or ask you to make a recorded statement. Do not sign any agreement with anyone before you talk to an attorney. Making a recorded statement is risky because you may say something that can make it easier for adjusters to deny or lower your claim. For example, if at one point of the recording you say that you had a history of migraines, they may try to use that to deny your head injury claims by classifying the migraines as a pre-existing condition.
- Questioning the severity of your injuries: They may question the severity of your injuries during the recording. Just answering a question about the activities you do each day can lead to an adjuster concluding that your injuries do not keep you from completing everyday tasks. Remember a USAA adjuster is not your friend and that means that the adjuster does not have your best interests in mind. So only give basic information to insurers such as your name and contact information.
- Damages not covered under policy: Adjusters may tell you that your damages, injuries, or bills are not covered under your policy. You can read your policy carefully before you take the adjuster’s word on it. You can also hire a lawyer to look at your policy.
- Delaying judgment: The insurance company can delay your case until the statute of limitations runs out. If an adjuster says that they need more time to review the details of your claim, they are probably trying to delay your case as much as possible.
Filing A Lawsuit Against USAA
You may have to take action in court against the at-fault party if USAA fails to make a reasonable offer for damages you incurred in your car accident. You need to talk to your lawyer to determine whether taking this step would be beneficial. USAA does not like lawsuits, and unlike other insurance companies USAA does not have in-house lawyers. So, they are very likely to increase their settlement offer significantly after you file a lawsuit.