People who know me well will tell you how easy going I am. I have little time to make a big deal out of the smaller issues in life. If I pay for services, I expect the service you promised, or the service you are entitled to provide. I don't think my expectation is any more or less stringent than anyone's.

Over the years, a majority of our insurance and financing needs have shifted to USAA. Over time, this shift included them financing our home mortgage, three vehicles, homeowners insurance, and providing vehicle insurance on all vehicles. Since beginning insurance with them in 1996, I have filed one claim, for a small fender bender in 1997 that was my fault.

Now enter August 19th of this year. I am heading to work on US 15 South just North of Gettysburg, PA. I am driving about 65MPH, when a guy driving North bound loses control, crosses the grass median, and plows into my Nissan pathfinder just behind the drivers door. The impact sends me, and my truck, rolling across the passing south bound lane, across the median, and across both lanes of the north bound side. My truck smashed into a guard rail upside down, and came to rest in the middle of the North bound lanes on its hood.

After the truck stopped, I crawled out the shattered passenger side window, and walked off. A witness said she saw the truck roll three times, and I managed to walk away from the whole thing with a piece of glass in my head, a sore neck, and a small cut on my knee where the ignition key snapped off and stabbed my kneecap, but not a single serious lasting injury.

You can see the pics, including one of the truck on its hood from the Gettysburg Times in this thread: http://forums.military.com/eve...1206/m/1520005132001

While I am in the hospital, the State Police arrive, and informed me that their report would place the driver of the other vehicle, 100% at fault. Within days, USAA declared the truck a total loss.

A few days later, we receive a call from USAA financing, informing us that we owe roughly 1,500 dollars for the cost of the totaled vehicle over what was insured, plus the deductible. I was floored! Here is my insurance company calling me for money, when the wreck was 100% someone else's fault. I had a really heated discussion with USAA financing over why they were calling me for money. I have 5 kids, were in the middle of a freakin recession, and my insurance company is calling me for money. I couldn't believe it.

I explained to them that I wasn't paying a dime, they need to go after the other drivers insurance. Now, their collections department has started calling for payment on a truck that they have totaled, in addition to the deductible, in addition to the uninsured cost of the vehicle.

By my estimates, I have paid over $12,000 in premiums to USAA over the past 10 years. I certainly don't expect to be hassled by my insurance, who is suppose to be on my side, for payments that someone else owes, and their insurance should be covering.

Has anyone else run into this with USAA?

T

Never had a problem with them. This may be due to the way the auto insurance laws are wrote in PA.

T,

Insurance companies suck. Save yourself a case of high blood pressure and call them one more time explaining how your next call will be to the Insurance Commissioner of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

As the victim of a 100% not at fault accident on your part, you should not have to pay for anything. When the insurance company stops acting as your advocate, they are violating their fiduciary responsibility to you.

I have battled these nit wits in the past. I was tail ended on Rte 3 on my way to work once and my own insurance company was trying to force me back to work as a LEO while I was still unable to pick up more than 10 lbs with either arm.

Let the Insurance Commissioner fight the battle for you.

I had a wreck with my New Car my new car was a Toyot Corrola fire engine red. I was going down grand in San Pedro CA four way stop on Grand I looked rigt and left several times half way through the intersction my car got hit my car went up on the opposite my front end was totaled I call my GMAC insurance when my car was tolated my great grand daughter took me home the man hit me had a brain tomour and his mother just died. He paid for my rental car and my car get fixed.

T:

I dropped USAA quite some time ago. Like you, I had a mortgage, vehicle finance and insurance on everything through them. My rates kept climbing for obscure reasons, like moving another 3 miles from the nearest fire dept, hikes due to someone else's casualties, etc. They became just another insurance company instead of a service oriented one they used to be. Insurance companies hire underwriters whose sole purpose is to reduce the amount of payout when something happens. I have never filed a claim, yet my insurance costs me over 1000.00 a month with my 2 young daughters driving and our home/farm (USAA was much higher). The government bails them out for billions while the agents go to Barbados for annual conventions. Auto Insurance is mandated by law, yet the insurance industry is allowed to run out of control. I live in a "No Fault" state which means I pay through the nose no matter what happens unless I sue the responsible party. This is proba bly your best option as well. As someone mentioned, file a complaint with the Insurance Commisioner, and speak to an attorney about some of the avenues that are available to you, including punitive. If the Commissioner makes a ruling in your favor, I would still go for the latter. Glad you are OK. It sounds like it could have been much worse than it was.

quote:

Originally posted by militia1:

While I am in the hospital, the State Police arrive, and informed me that their report would place the driver of the other vehicle, 100% at fault. Within days, USAA declared the truck a total loss.

T

I don't understand your situation really. If you were involved in a no-fault accident, why would you file a claim with USAA? Why or how would they even know about it to declare your truck a total loss? You would file a claim with the other drivers insurance company.

quote:

Originally posted by UnderwayMakingWay:

quote:

Originally posted by militia1:

While I am in the hospital, the State Police arrive, and informed me that their report would place the driver of the other vehicle, 100% at fault. Within days, USAA declared the truck a total loss.

T

I don't understand your situation really. If you were involved in a no-fault accident, why would you file a claim with USAA? Why or how would they even know about it to declare your truck a total loss? You would file a claim with the other drivers insurance company.

USAA financed it as well as insured it. There was no possible way I could get around not telling them. I think its their job to file with his insurance, not mine. I could be wrong.

T

quote:

Originally posted by cancelthiscrap:
T:

I dropped USAA quite some time ago. Like you, I had a mortgage, vehicle finance and insurance on everything through them. My rates kept climbing for obscure reasons, like moving another 3 miles from the nearest fire dept, hikes due to someone else's casualties, etc. They became just another insurance company instead of a service oriented one they used to be. Insurance companies hire underwriters whose sole purpose is to reduce the amount of payout when something happens. I have never filed a claim, yet my insurance costs me over 1000.00 a month with my 2 young daughters driving and our home/farm (USAA was much higher). The government bails them out for billions while the agents go to Barbados for annual conventions. Auto Insurance is mandated by law, yet the insurance industry is allowed to run out of control. I live in a "No Fault" state which means I pay through the nose no matter what happens unless I sue the responsible party. This is proba bly your best option as well. As someone mentioned, file a complaint with the Insurance Commisioner, and speak to an attorney about some of the avenues that are available to you, including punitive. If the Commissioner makes a ruling in your favor, I would still go for the latter. Glad you are OK. It sounds like it could have been much worse than it was.

There is nothing to take legal action over. Insurance companies are not responsible for your loan amount, they are responsible for the value of the vehicle.

quote:

Originally posted by UnderwayMakingWay:

quote:

Originally posted by cancelthiscrap:
T:

I dropped USAA quite some time ago. Like you, I had a mortgage, vehicle finance and insurance on everything through them. My rates kept climbing for obscure reasons, like moving another 3 miles from the nearest fire dept, hikes due to someone else's casualties, etc. They became just another insurance company instead of a service oriented one they used to be. Insurance companies hire underwriters whose sole purpose is to reduce the amount of payout when something happens. I have never filed a claim, yet my insurance costs me over 1000.00 a month with my 2 young daughters driving and our home/farm (USAA was much higher). The government bails them out for billions while the agents go to Barbados for annual conventions. Auto Insurance is mandated by law, yet the insurance industry is allowed to run out of control. I live in a "No Fault" state which means I pay through the nose no matter what happens unless I sue the responsible party. This is proba bly your best option as well. As someone mentioned, file a complaint with the Insurance Commisioner, and speak to an attorney about some of the avenues that are available to you, including punitive. If the Commissioner makes a ruling in your favor, I would still go for the latter. Glad you are OK. It sounds like it could have been much worse than it was.

There is nothing to take legal action over. Insurance companies are not responsible for your loan amount, they are responsible for the value of the vehicle.

Not in this case, they are responsible for all of it.

T

quote:

Originally posted by militia1:

quote:

Originally posted by UnderwayMakingWay:

quote:

Originally posted by cancelthiscrap:
T:

I dropped USAA quite some time ago. Like you, I had a mortgage, vehicle finance and insurance on everything through them. My rates kept climbing for obscure reasons, like moving another 3 miles from the nearest fire dept, hikes due to someone else's casualties, etc. They became just another insurance company instead of a service oriented one they used to be. Insurance companies hire underwriters whose sole purpose is to reduce the amount of payout when something happens. I have never filed a claim, yet my insurance costs me over 1000.00 a month with my 2 young daughters driving and our home/farm (USAA was much higher). The government bails them out for billions while the agents go to Barbados for annual conventions. Auto Insurance is mandated by law, yet the insurance industry is allowed to run out of control. I live in a "No Fault" state which means I pay through the nose no matter what happens unless I sue the responsible party. This is proba bly your best option as well. As someone mentioned, file a complaint with the Insurance Commisioner, and speak to an attorney about some of the avenues that are available to you, including punitive. If the Commissioner makes a ruling in your favor, I would still go for the latter. Glad you are OK. It sounds like it could have been much worse than it was.

There is nothing to take legal action over. Insurance companies are not responsible for your loan amount, they are responsible for the value of the vehicle.

Not in this case, they are responsible for all of it.

T

Obviously not, since the payout was 1500 of shy of what you owed. It doesn't matter who is covering the loss, they are only responsible for the current value of the vehicle. Otherwise, insurance companies would be on the hook for people who love to trade in vehicles every two years and always owe way more than owe their vehicles. This is why finance companies sell insurance to cover the differnce, and its typically quite cheap.

quote:

Originally posted by UnderwayMakingWay:

quote:

Originally posted by militia1:

quote:

Originally posted by UnderwayMakingWay:

quote:

Originally posted by cancelthiscrap:
T:

I dropped USAA quite some time ago. Like you, I had a mortgage, vehicle finance and insurance on everything through them. My rates kept climbing for obscure reasons, like moving another 3 miles from the nearest fire dept, hikes due to someone else's casualties, etc. They became just another insurance company instead of a service oriented one they used to be. Insurance companies hire underwriters whose sole purpose is to reduce the amount of payout when something happens. I have never filed a claim, yet my insurance costs me over 1000.00 a month with my 2 young daughters driving and our home/farm (USAA was much higher). The government bails them out for billions while the agents go to Barbados for annual conventions. Auto Insurance is mandated by law, yet the insurance industry is allowed to run out of control. I live in a "No Fault" state which means I pay through the nose no matter what happens unless I sue the responsible party. This is proba bly your best option as well. As someone mentioned, file a complaint with the Insurance Commisioner, and speak to an attorney about some of the avenues that are available to you, including punitive. If the Commissioner makes a ruling in your favor, I would still go for the latter. Glad you are OK. It sounds like it could have been much worse than it was.

There is nothing to take legal action over. Insurance companies are not responsible for your loan amount, they are responsible for the value of the vehicle.

Not in this case, they are responsible for all of it.

T

Obviously not, since the payout was 1500 of shy of what you owed. It doesn't matter who is covering the loss, they are only responsible for the current value of the vehicle. Otherwise, insurance companies would be on the hook for people who love to trade in vehicles every two years and always owe way more than owe their vehicles. This is why finance companies sell insurance to cover the differnce, and its typically quite cheap.

Agreed, but bother him and his insurance about it, not me. I don't owe those people a dime. I could take the totaled truck to the scrap yard and get 800 for it, throw on top the new tires, and there is their 1500. Either way, I dont expect my insurance company to hassle my about it.

U/W:

There is nothing "cheap" about insurance companies - well $$ speaking anyway...

T: There is plenty to sue over. Insurance agents are bound by certain standards of conduct. The industry is supposed to be highly regulated to certain standards of operating criteria. You were injured in an accident for which you were allocated 0pct fault, yet USAA is not acting on your behalf. Definately speak to a lawyer.

Militia,

I can't really understand why you are mad at USAA.

I owe about $7,000 on a car that is worth $6,000. If I get hit by a car his insurance has two options:

A. Pay for the entire repair bill or
B. Declare the car totaled and refund me for the value of the car ($6,000)

If the insurance company decides to go with option B then it is my responsibility to pay the difference ($1000) to my finance company.

I don't see what USAA is doing wrong.

quote:

If the insurance company decides to go with option B then it is my responsibility to pay the difference ($1000) to my finance company.

This is where we disagree. Its his job or his insurance companies responsibility to pay off the difference, not mine. Why do I owe anything when its someone elses fault? They insured it, not me. I paid for full coverage, not partial. He has full coverage. USAA should go after him.

You can disagree all you want but you are responsible for the difference whether it is your insurance company or his that pays it.

However, YOU, not the insurance company can sue the other person for the difference. The insurance companies have paid what they and you agreed (you signed the policy) to pay on such an incident.

Insurance is a necessary evil but it sounds like they paid you the cost of your vehicle without much hassle. It may not be what you owed but that is your fault for owing more than the car is worth. Next time try to find a policy that will pay off the entire loan, not just what the vehicle is worth.

I don't like insurance companies any more than anyone else but I also think people need to realize what they are actually covered for. If they want more coverage then buy more.

The insurance company is responsible for the value of the car. Plain and simple. I can't insure my $12,000 truck for $20,000. If my truck is worth $13,000 and I pay $16,000, financed or not, I'm only going to recieve $13,000.

Many car dealers sell gap insurance for just this reason. I can understand why you are frustrated but you can rest assured that you would have the same problem whether you had USAA, Gieco, State Farm etc.

quote:

Originally posted by militia1:
A few days later, we receive a call from USAA financing, informing us that we owe roughly 1,500 dollars for the cost of the totaled vehicle over what was insured, plus the deductible. T

Do you really have any idea who has payed for what in this case? If your damage is being paid by somebody elses insurance carrier, why would you be paying any type of deductible? I know all states are different, but it sure sounds like the claim went against YOUR insurance carrier, in this case USAA, which is why THEY declared it a total loss, and they want YOU to cover a deductible probably under your comprehensive coverage. Of course, that isn't going to change the fact that no insurance company is going to pay more than the current blue book value.

GAP Insurance... It sucks, but a necessary evil.

USAA Financing and USAA Insurance are two different businesses - even if you disagree with it or not Tony, USAA Finanacing is different then USAA Insurance - unfortunately you have a loan with the financer USAA and the check they got from the insurance company is less then what you owe...minus the deductible makes it even worse.

If State Farm insured you the USAA Bank would do the same thing - you owe us $X.xx because your insurance company didn't pay it all off.

You need to do what you can with USAA Insurance - to get the difference from the person who hit you and give it to USAA the bank.

Fair or not its two different businesses; it sounds worse because they are both "USAA"...

quote:

Originally posted by UnderwayMakingWay:

quote:

Originally posted by militia1:
A few days later, we receive a call from USAA financing, informing us that we owe roughly 1,500 dollars for the cost of the totaled vehicle over what was insured, plus the deductible. T

Do you really have any idea who has payed for what in this case? If your damage is being paid by somebody elses insurance carrier, why would you be paying any type of deductible? I know all states are different, but it sure sounds like the claim went against YOUR insurance carrier, in this case USAA, which is why THEY declared it a total loss, and they want YOU to cover a deductible probably under your comprehensive coverage. Of course, that isn't going to change the fact that no insurance company is going to pay more than the current blue book value.

You know, a wise Master Chief once told me that if you really want to make yourself look foolish, always speak in absolutes. Wise advice I believe.

Now, to reply to your post. No, I don't have a clue who has paid for what because with the exception of medical bills, no one has paid for anything. I refuse to pay anything because I am not responsible for the accident. I assume his insurance has or will reimburse USAA for the medical bills. So why cant USAA shut the hell up about calling and hassling me and my family over 1500?

As for the deductible, that's precisely my point. Why am I expected to pay that? The financer declares the vehicle a loss, not the other drivers insurer.

Now from what you wrote, I HIGHLY suspect you've never had a total loss vehicle. If you had, you would know that the insurance companies don't bother themselves with trivial Kelley Blue Book nonsense. They use a separate estimate guide that's lower than Kelleys. They will also call local dealers for a fair price estimate on the vehicle. In this case, both.

T