Average USAA Settlement Payout After a Car Accident in Florida

If you need to file a car accident claim with USAA in Florida, you are understandably anxious to get the process moving. The sooner you can get your claim submitted, the sooner you can get a resolution—and a settlement check. Understanding the USAA injury settlement calculator can help give you an idea of what to expect.

If you suffered injuries in an accident caused by a USAA customer, you might be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and emotional trauma. If you are a USAA policyholder yourself, you might also find yourself pursuing a claim under your personal injury protection (PIP), underinsured, or uninsured motorist coverage.

It can be especially helpful to understand more about USAA’s claims process. Some common questions that injury accident victims have included how long it takes to get a USAA car accident settlement and whether the company will be fair in its dealings with your claim.

In settling an injury claim with USAA, it can be helpful to have some background on the company. However, it’s more important to get a basic idea about how to submit a claim, how their process works, and how to keep the process moving along.

If you have questions about the process, or if you feel that you might need some help getting a fair settlement for your injuries and other damages, consider talking to an experienced Florida car accident lawyer. The attorneys of Abrahamson & Uiterwyk have more than three decades of experience. We have helped multiple clients get a USAA personal injury settlement, and we can help you get the justice you deserve.

What is the Average USAA Settlement Payout After a Car Accident in Florida?

How much compensation you get for a USAA settlement payout in Florida varies based on the unique circumstances of each situation and the severity of your injuries. Based on our own settlement data on this page, the average USAA settlement payout is between $195,000 to $1,100,000. Typically, accident victims are entitled to pursue compensation for their physical, emotional, and economic damages.

Clients often ask whether they can include compensation for emotional distress in their USAA settlement amount. Due to Florida’s “Impact Rule,” it can be challenging to recover these damages—but not impossible. Many victims recover compensation for mental and emotional trauma. However, they must prove that the trauma resulted in physical symptoms.

An experienced Florida car accident attorney can review the details of your case and give you a better idea of what your claim might be worth.

USAA Settlement Examples

$1,100,000 USAA Settlement Payout

Our client was headed northbound on Westshore Boulevard in Tampa, FL in the right lane.  The defendant driver was proceeding southbound on Westshore attempting to make a left turn to head east on Cleveland Street.  As the defendant began her turn, she crossed directly into our client’s path.  Our client was unable to avoid the defendant and crashed into the passenger’s side of her car.  A witness confirmed that the defendant had violated our client’s right of way, and the defendant was cited for making an improper left turn.

Our client suffered significant injuries to his neck and lower back, including numerous disc herniations.  Following his surgeon’s advice, our client underwent neck surgery in an effort to alleviate his pain and other symptoms.  Meanwhile, his back pain and radicular symptoms going into his legs persisted, and he underwent therapy and injections for this problem.

Before filing a lawsuit, we gave the insurance companies involved an opportunity to settle the case,  We submitted a demand to the defendant’s insurance company, and they decided to pay their minimal policy limit of $100,000.00.  Our client also had uninsured motorist insurance, and he submitted a comprehensive demand to them as well.  Despite the seriousness of the injuries and the substantial medical expenses incurred, the company offered merely $125,000.00.  We sued them immediately.  We engaged in discovery by taking depositions of the relevant witnesses.  We also hired a life care planner to project the amount of medical expenses our client would require in the future.  Our expert believed that over $800,000.00 would be needed for our client’s medical care.

A mediation settlement conference was scheduled, but the parties failed to reach an agreement at the conference.  Shortly thereafter, we filed a written proposal for settlement in the amount of $1million.  Under the terms of the proposal, the defense had 30 days to accept.  They called repeatedly asking us to negotiate.  We informed them in writing that could either accept the proposal or we’d see them at trial.  Right before the proposal was set to expire, the insurance company accepted it, and the case settled for a total of $1.1 million.  Our client was thrilled with the result which provided him with much needed compensation for his serious injuries.

$355,000 Recovered USAA Settlement Case

Our client, a resident of Venice, FL, was headed south on US 41 at the intersection of McIntosh Road when the defendant negligently failed to stop and caused a rear end collision. The defendant later tried to blame rainy weather for the accident.

Our client began medical treatment shortly after the accident with a chiropractor for pain in her neck and lower back. She also began to experience symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, anxiety, and traumatic stress. These and other symptoms suggested that our client had sustained a concussion in the accident. She has evaluated by a neurologist and a psychiatrist who found that she indeed suffered a closed head brain injury. Our firm also had her evaluated by a Ph. D neuropsychologist who found that she had sustained post-concussion syndrome as a direct result of the car accident.

Eventually we were successful in convincing the insurance company to pay their entire insurance policy limits of $300,000.00. We did so by demonstrating to them that their insured was at fault and by providing extensive medical substantiation of the post-concussion syndrome injury.

$195,000 USAA Settlement Payout After a Car Accident

On the day of this accident, our client was traveling west on State Road 54 in Pasco County, FL approaching the intersection of Old Cypress Creek Road. The defendant, who was driving a large sport utility vehicle, was traveling east on S.R. 54 when he attempted to turn left on Old Cypress Creek Rd. directly in the path of our client. Our client was unable to avoid colliding with the defendant in a T-bone fashion. The defendant was cited by the police for failure to yield the right of way.

Our client felt immediate pain in her middle and lower back and presented to an urgent care facility. She was evaluated and referred to a specialist for further treatment. MRI scans revealed disc bulges in our client’s thoracic spine and lumbar spine. Based on these serious injuries, her doctor recommended she undergo a procedure called a radiofrequency ablation. This procedure involves using radio waves to create a current that heats a small area of nerve tissue. The heat destroys that area of the nerve, stopping it from sending pain signals to the brain. Radiofrequency ablation can provide lasting relief from chronic pain. Our client underwent radiofrequency ablation in both the thoracic and lumbar areas of her spine.

Once our client had reached her maximum medical improvement, we prepared and submitted a comprehensive demand package to the defendant’s insurance company and to our client’s uninsured motorist insurer. The defendant’s insurer paid its minimal policy limit to our client early on since it was clear that the value of the claim far exceeded it. Our client’s insurer, however, initially refused to make a good faith offer. We negotiated hard with them letting them know that we were prepared to press our client’s case in court if necessary. Finally, we were able to convince them to make a fair offer, and the case settled for a total of $195,000.00, a result that our client was very happy with.

How Long Will My USAA Car Accident Claim Take to Settle?

One of the most common questions we hear is: How long does it take USAA to pay an insurance claim?

The time required to settle a USAA personal injury claim varies based on the details of the case. The more complex the claim, the longer it might take to get a resolution. For example, negotiating USAA whiplash settlements shouldn’t typically take as long as negotiating settlements for more severe or permanent injuries.

The process of getting a USAA insurance claim payout is similar to that of any other insurer. Once you report your claim to the company, a representative of the company—usually an insurance adjuster—will contact you. The adjuster will go over the details of the accident with you and ask you for a recorded statement. They will also ask you to provide copies of your medical bills and any other relevant documentation you may have.

The adjuster will then conduct their own investigation and, eventually, come back to you with a decision. The decision could be that they reject your claim outright. More likely, they might make a small settlement offer that won’t even cover your out-of-pocket costs. Insurance companies often make significantly undervalued settlement offers because injury accident victims will frequently accept the lowball offers. Accident victims might believe they won’t be able to get USAA to make a better offer or, as is often the case, their dire situation has them desperate for any economic relief.

Whatever the circumstances of your case, never provide any statement or discuss any potential settlement with USAA before you talk to an attorney to explore your options.

What Is USAA?

Formed in 1922 as the United States Army Automobile Association, USAA (now the United Services Automobile Association) was established for the sole purpose of insuring a group of U.S. Army officers. At the time, the officers set out to self-insure, as other insurers refused to provide coverage, citing their position as “high risk.”

Today, USAA provides property and casualty insurance for current and former U.S. service members, their spouses, and their children. With more than 13 million members today, the company reports a net worth of $40 billion and $200 billion in total assets. USAA also reports paying out $16 billion in claims in 2020.

USAA is member-owned. In other words, the company does not have investors and shareholders. Instead, its duty is to those who hold policies and use the company’s affiliated financial services, such as banking and investment advisement. The company disburses profits in the form of dividends to policyholders—$1.1 billion in auto policyholder dividends were paid in 2020—and through the support of military-related causes.

According to the Better Business Bureau, USAA has 1,494 recorded BBB complaints, all of which the company resolved. Almost 600 of those complaints were filed in the past 12 months. USAA’s BBB customer review average is 1.25 stars out of 5. Because the insurer is not a BBB accredited company, however, it does not have a Better Business Bureau rating. 

USAA does have some negative history with Florida customers. In 2017, USAA settled a class action lawsuit filed in 2013 by Florida policyholders. The settlement amount was reported as $39 million. The suit challenged the insurer for how it compensated auto policyholders for sales tax when they replaced a total loss vehicle.

How to Contact USAA in Florida

USAA encourages its policyholders to initiate their claim through the USAA online claims center. When you scroll down, you will see the option to file an auto claim. The option for filing a non-policyholder claim with USAA is offered as well. You can also check the status of your claim online.

To file a non-policyholder claim, you must provide the following information.

• Policyholder’s last name,
• USAA policy number,
• Make of the vehicle involved, and
• Date of the accident.

You can also find additional information on the non-policyholder claim FAQs page.

If you prefer to handle your contact over the phone, you can call USAA at 210-531-USAA (8722) or 800-531-USAA (8722). USAA’s claims department also has a fax number, 800-531-8669.

Should I Expect USAA to Make a Fair Settlement Offer?

Like all insurance companies, USAA handles claims of all sizes and types. In Florida, some claimants report struggling to get a fair settlement for their damages. However, this is the type of struggle that injury accident victims encounter all the time. Insurance companies generally take whatever steps they can to minimize the settlement amounts they pay out.

Tips for Getting Fair Value in Your USAA Settlement Payout

When interacting with USAA or any other insurance company, it’s common to experience delays in the settlement process. They may challenge the value of various elements of your claim, often prolonging the negotiation and evaluation periods. Insurance companies like USAA are known to minimize payout amounts by questioning the legitimacy of your damages, medical costs, or even your version of the incident.

Hiring an attorney can be crucial in ensuring you receive fair treatment from the insurance company. An experienced lawyer for car insurance claims will help you navigate the claims process, protect your rights, and maximize the value of your USAA auto claim settlement. They can also handle negotiations on your behalf, ensuring that you aren’t taken advantage of during the settlement process.

Before you communicate with USAA, it’s important to consult with a lawyer to fully understand your legal options. Insurance companies often use various tactics to minimize payouts, so having legal counsel by your side can help you avoid common pitfalls. Additionally, do not make any statements to USAA or agree to any settlement offers until you’ve reviewed your options with a lawyer. Remember, once you accept a settlement, you may forfeit your right to pursue further compensation, so it’s critical to ensure the offer is fair and covers all your needs.

Do I Need a Lawyer to Get a USAA Settlement Check?

You aren’t legally required to have an attorney for USAA car accident claims. However, having a lawyer to assist with your case will give you significant advantages. Your attorney will help to protect your legal rights and hold USAA accountable. Your attorney will investigate and document your case and negotiate to get you the USAA injury settlement you deserve.

Consult a USAA Car Accident Attorney in Florida

At Abrahamson & Uiterwyk, our Florida personal injury lawyers can help you get the USAA settlement offer you deserve. While tools like the USAA injury settlement calculator may provide an estimate, they don’t always reflect the full value of your claim. If the insurer won’t negotiate a fair settlement, our experienced litigators can file a USAA lawsuit on your behalf and fight for you in court.

Contact us today to schedule a free consultation or to speak with a Florida car accident lawyer about your USAA car accident claim.