I was rear-ended in a three-way accident. The driver who hit me has Progressive insurance, but Progressive says they don’t have enough coverage to pay for all three cars. They told me to file a claim with USAA, who would handle everything for me.
USAA agreed, but they’re saying they’ll mark it as a no-fault accident on my record. This is one option. The other option is to go directly through Progressive, but that could take longer and I might not get fully reimbursed.
I’m wondering how filing through USAA will affect my rates, even though it wasn’t my fault. Would it be better to go with Progressive instead?
In most states, you can’t be charged extra for a not-at-fault accident. That said, your rates might go up because of other factors, not just the accident. I recommend going with USAA, especially since it’s a three-vehicle accident. A $5K damage policy doesn’t cover much.
Jo said: @Rio
But they could take away any no-claims discount.
That might be true for some policies, but I’ve never had that discount. Some policies have accident forgiveness, but that’s for at-fault accidents, not a discount.
I always file through USAA and let them go after the other party. My rates didn’t go up when someone totaled my daughter’s car and damaged my son’s car. If USAA decides you’re not at fault, they’ll waive your deductible and won’t raise your rates.
@Keaton
I agree. Letting USAA handle it is easier. You’ll pay the deductible, but eventually get reimbursed, and your rates shouldn’t go up. My wife was t-boned, not at fault, and USAA handled it without raising our rates, even when she was sued by the other driver.
It’s easier to go through your own insurance. They’ll take care of everything and go after the at-fault driver. I work for another insurance company, and they can’t raise your rates for accidents that aren’t your fault, but all claims count toward claims frequency, which can affect things.
Usually, you won’t get a rate increase for a not-at-fault accident. But if you had a claims-free discount, they might remove it, and that could raise your rates.
I’ve had two not-at-fault accidents in six months, and my insurance didn’t go up. I filed through USAA both times so I didn’t have to deal with another insurance company.
Tate said:
I’ve had two not-at-fault accidents in six months, and my insurance didn’t go up. I filed through USAA both times so I didn’t have to deal with another insurance company.
I had three not-at-fault accidents in about 18 months, and USAA did raise my rates. They sent me a letter saying, ‘We know these weren’t your fault, but we’re still raising your rates.’ So there’s a limit to how many of these they’ll let slide.
I have USAA as well. Last year, someone T-boned me, and I hit a deer in March with my new car. USAA covered everything, but my rates went up a little, like $20/month. I think it’s because I got a new 2024 car. USAA took care of everything, but make sure you stay on top of them, because they’re not always organized.
You really don’t have much of a choice except Option 1. Progressive’s coverage is already maxed out, and they will prorate what you get based on how much damage was done to each car. Your rates shouldn’t go up unless you were at fault. Go with USAA and get your car fixed. You’ll probably still have to pay your deductible.