I have a USAA policy, and I was at fault in an accident. My car was in the shop for about 2.5 months because the adjuster was very slow to approve repairs. Now I’m only getting reimbursed for a small portion of my rental car expenses. The adjuster initially said they would cover about $2800 but ended up only sending me a check for about $1100. Any advice or suggestions on what to do next?
Was your car drivable after the accident? And did you get any letters or emails saying ‘duty to mitigate damages’?
I need more info. Is the issue the rental rate or the time frame you had the rental?
Lennon said:
I need more info. Is the issue the rental rate or the time frame you had the rental?
I’m not sure. She hasn’t replied to my emails about that. She initially said around $2800 would be covered, and a check was coming. But when I received it, it was only about $1100.
@Kai
So were your rental expenses around $6400 or $2800?
Lennon said:
@Kai
So were your rental expenses around $6400 or $2800?
My rental expenses were $6400. The adjuster initially said $2800 would be covered, but then only $1100 was approved. No further explanation, and I still haven’t heard back from her.
@Kai
That’s a lot of rental for a $4800 repair. My guess is the rental was needed longer than expected, or the rate was higher than what is typical. Most states only cover reasonable rental costs, like something similar to a Corolla, usually about $30/day for the repair time. Delays like parts issues would extend that time, but I can’t imagine the full amount being covered.
@Lennon
I rented a car through Turo, which was comparable to mine. I needed the space for my wife’s business. It was just a Chevy station wagon, and as I mentioned, the adjuster took days or even more than a week to approve each repair request.
@Kai
Did you check with them before renting the car to confirm they would cover the rate?
Lennon said:
@Kai
Did you check with them before renting the car to confirm they would cover the rate?
No, I wasn’t sure how to handle the situation since it was my first accident. At the beginning, the adjuster seemed helpful, so I thought things would be taken care of.
@Kai
I’m sorry to hear that. You’ll need to get the official details from USAA now.
@Kai
Adjusters don’t approve repair shops; appraisers do. So the adjuster has to wait for them.
So is your rental around $140 per day?
Thorn said:
So is your rental around $140 per day?
It’s just under $90/day, including the minimum protection, trip fees, delivery fee, and taxes for a 72-day rental.
Thorn said:
So is your rental around $140 per day?
It’s just under $90/day, including the minimum protection, trip fees, delivery fee, and taxes for a 72-day rental.
USAA covered my last rental at $47 a day for a BMW SUV, and I used my own insurance (USAA). They probably expected you to do the same, and would only cover the base cost. I’d fight it since you needed the rental and the adjuster didn’t approve it on time. I had to get them to cover two days they forgot about after explaining.
They’ll only cover the state minimum rental rate, which is typically for an economy car. You’re not going to get all of that rental covered. The best advice I can give is to get better coverage next time and more rental protection.
How much was the property damage? How much did your car repairs cost? And what are the rental car expenses?
Keir said:
How much was the property damage? How much did your car repairs cost? And what are the rental car expenses?
They rented through Turo.
Keir said:
How much was the property damage? How much did your car repairs cost? And what are the rental car expenses?
They rented through Turo.
Wait, you mean the person who posted this?
@Keir
Yes.