kdonnel
DVC-BCV
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2001
- Messages
- 7,148
My son got side swiped on October 8th, he is fine, the car is not.
The car is a 2006 Honda Accord so we had long since dropped comprehensive so we can't file through our insurance and have to file through the at fault drivers insurance which is USAA.
We got my son back to college by letting him take my wife's car as her and I were leaving the next day for a short vacation. Before leaving I got a copy of the accident report which gave me the necessary information to file a claim with USAA and we left on vacation, expecting to hear from USAA in the next day or two.
October 15th when I returned from vacation I called USAA. I spoke with someone who gave me a link to view the claim status and could only give me the extension of the adjuster assigned to the case so I called the adjuster and left a message. On October 16th I called again and left a message again. The outgoing voicemail message of the adjuster had the managers extension so I also called the manager and left a message.
On October 17th I called a half dozen more times leaving messages for the manager and the adjuster. Finally at about 7pm on the 17th the manager returned my call. He explained that the adjuster was on vacation, they had assigned my accident to someone on vacation, and he would look at the claim. The manager started explaining how the insured was not returning their calls and I would have to wait 14 days for a returned call at which point USAA would send a certified letter to the insured and I would then have to wait 30 days for a response. They needed to speak with their insured before accepting liability.
I pushed back and asked, is your insured not responding or have they not been called, seeing as how I have not received any phone call from USAA in the 10 days since I filed the claim?
I explained I understood in some instances there is wiggle room in fault but if he took time to read the accident report he would see that their insured had exited the interstate in the emergency lane instead of the real lane of traffic like my son, attempted to pass my son, and when presented with a broke down car in the emergency lane had made an improper lane change into the side of my son.
He read the report and said they would accept liability, I thought things would finally start moving, I was wrong.
On the 18th I got a certified letter from the tow recovery company wanting to let me know there was $1000 in incurred charges and that I needed to settle up or in 10 days they would assume I gave them ownership of the car. I also noticed on the online status of my claim that I had been granted access that it was saying the claim had been cancelled.
Another set of calls to USAA to leave voicemails because they apparently do not ever answer their phone and I wait. That night around 7pm I got a call from the manager again, not my adjuster, saying that my adjuster was back in the office and would talk to me Monday. That the claim had not been canceled despite what it said online and that USAA would retrieve the car from the tow recovery lot over the weekend.
Around 9pm my wife got a call from the estimator confirming that the car was a total loss. He was confused as to why the car was still at the tow recovery lot and asked if I had refused to authorize USAA to pickup the vehicle as it was costing them money? I explained I had given permission on the 17th and that I had yet to hear from the actual adjuster assigned to the claim. He was silent after I explained my experience so far and assured me it would move quickly now. I would hear from the loss department with an offer on Monday, from another department on the steps to transfer ownership on Monday and all would be good.
Didn't hear from anyone today.
Tomorrow will be 14 days since the claim was filed and I have received exactly ZERO phone calls from the adjuster assigned to the claim.
I know they are probably busy with the back to back hurricanes but I are frustrated at the complete lack of urgency and communication from USAA.
Edited to add:
In Georgia insurers have 10 days to settle a claim after coverage confirmation. I wonder if I should just sit back and wait until the 28th so I have a potential lawsuit and more negotiating power for the value of the car?
The car is a 2006 Honda Accord so we had long since dropped comprehensive so we can't file through our insurance and have to file through the at fault drivers insurance which is USAA.
We got my son back to college by letting him take my wife's car as her and I were leaving the next day for a short vacation. Before leaving I got a copy of the accident report which gave me the necessary information to file a claim with USAA and we left on vacation, expecting to hear from USAA in the next day or two.
October 15th when I returned from vacation I called USAA. I spoke with someone who gave me a link to view the claim status and could only give me the extension of the adjuster assigned to the case so I called the adjuster and left a message. On October 16th I called again and left a message again. The outgoing voicemail message of the adjuster had the managers extension so I also called the manager and left a message.
On October 17th I called a half dozen more times leaving messages for the manager and the adjuster. Finally at about 7pm on the 17th the manager returned my call. He explained that the adjuster was on vacation, they had assigned my accident to someone on vacation, and he would look at the claim. The manager started explaining how the insured was not returning their calls and I would have to wait 14 days for a returned call at which point USAA would send a certified letter to the insured and I would then have to wait 30 days for a response. They needed to speak with their insured before accepting liability.
I pushed back and asked, is your insured not responding or have they not been called, seeing as how I have not received any phone call from USAA in the 10 days since I filed the claim?
I explained I understood in some instances there is wiggle room in fault but if he took time to read the accident report he would see that their insured had exited the interstate in the emergency lane instead of the real lane of traffic like my son, attempted to pass my son, and when presented with a broke down car in the emergency lane had made an improper lane change into the side of my son.
He read the report and said they would accept liability, I thought things would finally start moving, I was wrong.
On the 18th I got a certified letter from the tow recovery company wanting to let me know there was $1000 in incurred charges and that I needed to settle up or in 10 days they would assume I gave them ownership of the car. I also noticed on the online status of my claim that I had been granted access that it was saying the claim had been cancelled.
Another set of calls to USAA to leave voicemails because they apparently do not ever answer their phone and I wait. That night around 7pm I got a call from the manager again, not my adjuster, saying that my adjuster was back in the office and would talk to me Monday. That the claim had not been canceled despite what it said online and that USAA would retrieve the car from the tow recovery lot over the weekend.
Around 9pm my wife got a call from the estimator confirming that the car was a total loss. He was confused as to why the car was still at the tow recovery lot and asked if I had refused to authorize USAA to pickup the vehicle as it was costing them money? I explained I had given permission on the 17th and that I had yet to hear from the actual adjuster assigned to the claim. He was silent after I explained my experience so far and assured me it would move quickly now. I would hear from the loss department with an offer on Monday, from another department on the steps to transfer ownership on Monday and all would be good.
Didn't hear from anyone today.
Tomorrow will be 14 days since the claim was filed and I have received exactly ZERO phone calls from the adjuster assigned to the claim.
I know they are probably busy with the back to back hurricanes but I are frustrated at the complete lack of urgency and communication from USAA.
Edited to add:
In Georgia insurers have 10 days to settle a claim after coverage confirmation. I wonder if I should just sit back and wait until the 28th so I have a potential lawsuit and more negotiating power for the value of the car?
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