USAA is an acronym for United Services Automobile Association. One of the financial services that it provides is car insurance for current or former members of the military and their families. Indeed, USAA is known for quality customer service, but if you're injured in a Los Angeles accident that's caused by a person who is insured by USAA, you're a claimant and not a customer. Expect to be treated accordingly with USAA wanting to pay out as little on your claim as possible.
If you have been injured by someone with USAA insurance in the Los Angeles area, contact us right away for a free consultation. The call is free. We've dealt with USAA before and can share our experiences with you.
If we are representing you, we will handle the entire claims process.
Call the police
Don't get talked out of calling the police. Both sides to your accident case will rely heavily on the contents of the police accident report. Without that report, you'll have a difficult time having USAA, a judge or a jury recognize the validity of your personal injury claim. Your investigating officer may make a good witness too.
Getting your claim on record
As opposed to many insurance companies, it doesn't appear as if you can begin opening a personal injury claim with USAA by email. It does provide a phone number though, so you can start out by calling 800-531-8722. Expect to get redirected, but you'll eventually be connected with somebody from the USAA bodily injury claims department.
It's recommended that you follow up your phone call with a letter to USAA by certified mail with a return receipt requested that advises of your claim. Provide your mailing address and phone numbers where you can be reached. Staple or tape the mailing receipt and proof of delivery to a photocopy of that letter. That should be enough to get a response from USAA.
USAA's response
Expect to receive a letter acknowledging receipt of your claim by an adjuster who your claim has been assigned to. It will contain a claim number that you'll need to reference in phone calls or written communications. That acknowledgement letter will probably be accompanied by a medical authorization for signature and return. Don't sign it, and don't return it. The law doesn't require you to provide it.
The request for a recorded statement
USAA's adjuster might phone you and ask where the signed medical authorization is. Politely advise that you're not going to provide an authorization. The adjuster might then want a recorded statement from you. The law doesn't require you to provide that either. Politely refuse to provide a recorded statement too. With the medical authorization, the adjuster is only looking for an old injury to the same part of the your body. He or she can then argue that you were already damaged goods before your crash. With the recorded statement, the adjuster will only try to get you to contradict yourself. Your own words will then be used against you in the future. Refuse to give any statements whatsoever. At that point, you'd be serving your self well by making an appointment with us.
Should you file your own claim with USAA?
The USAA adjuster has handled thousands of claims. You're on your first bodily injury claim. USAA has you right where it wants you. It's likely that you're going to make mistakes during the long processing of your USAA claim that the rules of evidence aren't going to allow you to remedy. Those are going to cost you sums of money that USAA won't be ordered to pay. When that happens, your net proceeds will probably be significantly less than if you had retained us from the onset.
Contact a Los Angeles car accident lawyer
If you were injured in a Los Angeles motor vehicle accident that was caused by the negligence of a person who was insured by USAA, or if you are insured with USAA, and you were injured as a result of the negligence of an uninsured driver, contact our offices right away for a free consultation and case evaluation. We'll properly and professionally do everything that needs to be done. You won't even need to pay any legal fees unless we obtain a settlement or verdict for you.
