USAA Accident Insurance Claims

Whether it’s a minor fender bender that triggers long-term neck and back pain or a more serious accident that totals your car and causes extensive injuries, a car accident is often a traumatizing experience. What may make it even more traumatic is having to deal with an insurance claim, which can be challenging and take years to resolve.

The United Services Automobile Association (USAA) is an insurance provider for military families and veterans. While it’s only available to a specific group, its claim process can be drawn out and complicated like any other insurance company. This can be frustrating, especially when you’re ready to move past your accident.

When you work with accident claim lawyers experienced in USAA accident insurance claims, you can get faster and more successful results. A lawyer can help you better navigate the insurance claims process and argue your case so that you can get the most favorable outcome.

A car accident is a stressful experience, especially if you end up in the hospital. In the flurry of activity that often results, it can be hard to think about what to do besides take care of yourself and your passengers. While that is the most important thing, there are a few other steps you should take after an accident to make sure that important evidence is documented for any insurance claim you file.

• Check for injuries. The first thing to do after an accident is to check for injuries. Make sure both you and your passengers are okay, as well as the anyone in the other car. If serious injuries occurred, contact 911 or seek medical attention right away.
• Get the other party’s insurance information. If it’s safe to do so, move your car to a safe place on the side of the road to exchange insurance information with the driver of the other car. Exchange names, addresses, phone numbers, driver’s license information, vehicle license plate numbers, and insurance information. This information will be vital when making a USAA accident insurance claim, so it’s important not to skip it.
• Get contact information for any witnesses. If there are any witnesses to the accident, try to get their names, addresses, and phone numbers. Anyone who saw the accident may have valuable information when it comes to determining what happened and who is at fault.
• Make a police report. The best way to document what happened is through a police report. If you call the police from the scene of the accident, they will come take statements and document the incident. If you call them once you’re out of harm’s way, you can still provide your version of the accident and any witness information. While it may seem unnecessary to make a police report for a small dent in your car, it’s always a good idea to file a report anytime you’ve been in an accident. You should always file a police report if there’s a fatality or injury, one of the drivers is intoxicated, or one of the drivers leaves the scene of the accident.
• Take photos. To document any damage to your vehicle or yourself, it’s helpful to take photos. This is important evidence to have when it comes to proving the extent of your injuries and filing a claim.
• File a claim with your insurance company. Whether or not you acquired any of the above information, you should file a claim with your insurance company. Once you report all of the accident information to them, your insurance company will contact the insurance companies of the other drivers involved to work on settling your claim. At this point, depending on the extent of your injuries, you may want to work with an auto accident insurance attorney who can help you get the most compensation possible for your accident.

It’s not always easy to determine who was at fault in a car accident, especially when multiple cars were involved. Figuring out who was at fault may require a detailed investigation of who was driving, if they were working at the time (in which case an employer may be liable), any vehicle defects, if drugs or alcohol were involved, and the accident scene itself. Since Texas is a “fault” state, insurance companies determine who is at fault in an accident before they pay out any claims.

While some cases are clear-cut and the other party is found to be completely responsible for the accident, there’s always a chance you’ll be found partially at fault. For instance, if you were speeding when the other car hit you or didn’t notice the car backing out of a parking space before the collision occurred, your damages may be reduced in accordance with your percentage of responsibility for causing the accident. In Texas, as long as you’re 50 percent or less at fault for the collision, you are eligible to recover damages.

A car insurance company like USAA may try to claim that you’re more at fault than you are to have a reason to pay out less. An auto accident insurance lawyer can help make sure that doesn’t happen. They will investigate who is at fault in the accident and make sure the percentage of liability matches up with what actually happened so that you can recover as much as possible.

You should notify your insurance company as soon as possible after an auto accident. If your insurance company is USAA, you can submit your claim and any photos online or through its app. However, be careful not to provide your insurance with a recorded statement without first consulting with an injury attorney.

The terms of your insurance policy determine how long you have to report a car accident. For some policies, if you fail to report within the stated period of time, you may lose the right to recover damages.

In Texas, the insurance company must accept or deny your claim within 15 days of getting all the necessary information. If your claim is accepted, the insurance company is required to pay you within five business days. If your claim is rejected, they must let you know why.

This doesn’t mean that your claim will be accepted and paid within 15 days of the accident. It can take time for an insurance company to gather all of the information needed to make a determination — and they may try to stall to delay any payout.

Accident claim lawyers can help make sure this doesn’t happen. They know exactly what a company like USAA needs to make a final determination on a claim and will work to get them that information as quickly as possible. A lawyer will also make sure that insurance agents aren’t purposefully dragging their feet on making a decision.

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How to Protect Yourself When Interacting with Insurance Providers

Insurance companies will typically do whatever it takes to avoid paying damages, from delaying a review of your claim to arguing that you were more at fault than you were. They may also try to get you to settle quickly with a lowball offer.

To help protect yourself when interacting with insurance providers like USAA, be sure to get everything from them in writing so they can’t backtrack on any statements or offers. Don’t feel pressured to go to a medical professional or auto body shop that they recommend — you are free to choose your own service providers. And don’t sign or agree to anything you don’t feel comfortable with.

The best way to protect yourself is to work with an attorney who will do the talking and negotiating for you. A lawyer will make sure that your interests are represented, that you get a fair deal, and that you recover as much compensation as possible for the accident. If your case needs to go to trial, the right attorney can even help you litigate the case in court.

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