Top reasons why I will never switch from USAA to Progressive

Top reasons why I will never switch from USAA to Progressive:

1. Clientele: while driving down the highway I was struck from the rear by an inebriated unemployed Progressive driver, who was already on probation for DUI. Its feels good to insure others who would be court-martialed if they behaved like this individual.


2. Clarity: when I call USAA I don’t have to be transferred from a National Office to a local office, and since I don’t need to be transferred I don’t get two different stories about the service they provide. When I call Progressive the national office tells me that they will go wherever I need, service and inspect the car wherever I like and generally accommodate me, but when I call the local office I am told I must go to their body shop during working hours have my car checked out. When I call the national office and ask to speak to someone higher up, they route me to another claims adjuster in the same department who also cannot help. No bureaucracy, that’s why I love USAA.
3. Availability: when I call USAA I am told we will be here all night to help you. My Progressive claims adjuster works only works four days per week.
4. Attitude: when I speak to USAA about my accident they can’t wait to genuinely show concern and look out for my welfare. When I can get a hold of anyone at Progressive I get terse responses and feigned concern. When I come to the Progressive office, the claims adjuster tells the secretary to take my paperwork and lets the secretary try to determine what is happening with my case because she is too busy to see me (though she seen doing a deliberate about face upon seeing me and calls the secretary twice to see if I have gone away yet). When she does come to see me she tells me “You just don’t know how the insurance business works.” Clearly, I don’t know how Progressive works, but I know how USAA does, I am treated with respect, concern and prompt service.
5. Responsibility: When I take the day off work to personally fetch police reports, contact sheriffs departments, rental car companies and bring needed documentation to the office, but am still told that Progressive does not have the documentation to repair my car and that I should contact my insurance company because they can work faster.

Negotiating your car accident insurance settlement

After a car accident, if you have made a claim with the negligent driver’s insurance company for either property damage to your vehicle, bodily injury, or both, at some point, after providing the adjuster with all of the requested documentation, you will need to negotiate a settlement of your claim. Often, the adjuster will be the one to make the first move and offer you a settlement amount. If you have a definite opinion on the value of your claim, however, you don’t have to wait for his or her offer. You can write a demand letter with the figure you believe your claim is worth. (See Settling Your Car Insurance Claim: How to Write a Demand Letter.) The adjuster will respond in due course with a counter-offer. If you come to an agreement on a figure—great! It’s settled. (See The Initial Steps in Settling Your Car Insurance Claim.)

Suppose, however, that the adjuster makes an offer much lower than you counted on. (See When the Adjuster’s Offer is Too Low.) Note that adjusters have a settlement range and will typically begin at the lowest figure. Their job is to settle the claim for the least possible amount of money. You may venture into back-and-forth negotiations for a while, but no matter how long you have been negotiating, when he gets to the top of his range, there will be no further offers. (See Settling Your Car Insurance Claim: How Long Should It Take.) What happens if you reach an impasse? (See Negotiating Your Car Insurance Settlement.)

Here are some options to bring your claim closer to settlement, even if you have reached an impasse:


* Seek advice from an car accident lawyer to determine if the settlement amount you have in mind is a reasonable amount based on the facts and documentation.

* If you want to continue negotiating on your own without an attorney, write a letter to the insurance company to support the value you have placed on your claim. You may want to include any additional documentation and/or information not previously provided.

* Go up the chain of command and speak to the adjuster’s supervisor or manager. Adjusters get their dollar authority to settle from their higher-ups and may not have convinced them the claim is worth more than what is being offered. Perhaps you can convince them.

* Request alternative dispute resolution (mediation or arbitration).

* File a Complaint with your state’s Department of Insurance.

* Hire an attorney to continue the negotiations for you; most people are not born negotiators.


If your car accident attorney reaches an impasse and is convinced your case has greater value than the insurance company is assigning it, that’s when you file a lawsuit against the negligent driver to have the court decide.

Note that if you are having trouble resolving a claim with your own insurance company, for example, an uninsured motorist claim or a collision claim where your vehicle was deemed a total loss, you also have options. You may not only file a complaint with the Department of Insurance, but you may sue your insurance company for Bad Faith. (See When You Can’t Resolve a Dispute With Your Insurance Company.) Be sure to hire an attorney who is well versed in insurance bad faith cases.

Car Insurance Quotes and Coverage

You count on your car to get where you’re going. Shouldn’t you have a car insurance policy you can count on, too? Switch to Nationwide and you could save up to $523* on your online auto insurance quote. You’ll also get car insurance coverage that includes:

* A 100% Repair guarantee** for as long as you own your car
* 24/7 Nationwide Blue RibbonSM Claim Services
* Free On Your Side® Reviews to help you choose the discounts and coverage options that are right for your life

Three good reasons to choose Nationwide auto insurance coverage

1 Better claims service

Nine out of ten Nationwide customers who filed an auto insurance claim would recommend us to a friend or family member. Why? Because we give customers a better claims experience.

Find out more about Nationwide Blue Ribbon Claim Services.
2 Auto insurance discounts

There are lots of ways to save on your car insurance coverage with Nationwide. Save when you insure more than one vehicle, when you stay accident-free, and when you insure both your car and home.

Learn more about auto insurance discounts.
3 Nationwide On Your Side Review

Make sure your car insurance coverage keeps up with your life with a Nationwide On Your Side Review. A Nationwide insurance agent can help you look at the big picture. So you can get the auto insurance coverage that fits your needs, goals and budget.
Learn more about Nationwide On Your Side Review.



* $523 average annual savings based on Nationwide policyholder data through July 2007.

** Written guarantee is available to those persons opting to use a Nationwide Blue Ribbon certified repair shop.
Nationwide, the Nationwide framemark, On Your Side, and Nationwide Blue Ribbon are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.