Totaled a car? Two insurance settlements are open right now (State Farm AR, USAA MI)

Why total-loss valuations keep producing settlements

When an insurer declares your car a total loss, it owes you the vehicle's actual cash value. Two practices have repeatedly drawn class actions:

1. Valuation adjustments. Some insurers' valuation reports applied a "typical negotiation" discount — shaving the payout on the theory that you'd have haggled the price down when buying the car.
2. Skipped taxes and fees. On leased vehicles especially, some insurers left state sales tax and regulatory fees out of the settlement payment.

Both patterns are behind settlements open right now.

State Farm Arkansas — deadline August 19, 2026

The allegation: State Farm underpaid Arkansas policyholders for totaled vehicles by using Audatex valuation reports that applied a "typical negotiation" adjustment, lowering payouts.

Who qualifies: Arkansas drivers whose State Farm total-loss claim was paid from an Audatex report between November 2016 and October 2021.

Fact	Detail
Class window	AR total-loss claims, Nov 2016 – Oct 2021
Typical payout	$250–$728
Deadline	August 19, 2026
What you need	Your State Farm claim number (policy number helps matching)

This one is urgent — the deadline is days away as this is published. If your car was totaled on a State Farm policy in Arkansas during that window, file now.

USAA Michigan — deadline October 8, 2026

The allegation: In Marchek v. USAA (Eastern District of Michigan), USAA allegedly underpaid Michigan drivers with leased vehicles by leaving state sales tax and regulatory fees out of total-loss payments.

Who qualifies: Michigan USAA members whose leased vehicle was totaled between 2015 and 2026 and who were underpaid on sales tax or fees.

Fact	Detail
Case	Marchek v. USAA (E.D. Mich.)
Class window	MI leased vehicles totaled 2015–2026
Typical payout	$75–$525
Deadline	October 8, 2026
What you need	Your USAA claim number and date of loss

What both settlements have in common

• They're matched by claim number, not receipts. The administrator looks up your insurance claim; you don't need to reconstruct paperwork from years ago. Can't find your claim number? It's on old correspondence from your insurer, or you can request it from customer service.
• They're state- and window-specific. You qualify based on where you were insured when the car was totaled — even if you've since moved.
• The deadlines are hard. As with every settlement, late claims aren't accepted (how payouts work).

File before the windows close

Owed's check asks the two questions that matter here — did you have a total-loss claim with these insurers, in these states, during these windows — and prepares the claim if you qualify. Check what you qualify for, especially before August 19.