Chubb Car Accident Claim After a Dallas Wreck: What Injured Victims Need to Know

If you were injured in a Dallas car wreck and the driver who hit you has Chubb insurance, you may soon be contacted by a Chubb claim examiner.

Chubb handles automobile claims differently from some mass-market insurers, particularly because many Chubb personal-auto policies are designed for individuals and families with higher-value vehicles or broader insurance programs. Chubb also offers personal excess liability insurance that can potentially provide additional coverage above an underlying auto policy.

That does not mean every Chubb-insured driver has high liability limits or an umbrella policy.

It does mean that after a serious collision involving a Chubb-insured driver, it can be particularly important to identify all potentially applicable insurance coverage, rather than stopping with the first auto policy you find.

Before providing a detailed statement about how the wreck happened, discussing your medical history, signing a broad authorization, or accepting an injury settlement, consider speaking with a Dallas car accident lawyer.

How Does a Chubb Car Accident Claim Work?

Chubb allows automobile claims to be reported online, through a Chubb agent, or through its 24-hour claims center.

According to Chubb's official auto claims process, after a claim is reported, Chubb assigns a claim examiner who gathers information concerning the accident and serves as a primary point of contact during the claim.

Chubb recommends gathering information such as:

• Photographs of the crash scene;

• Photographs of the vehicles;

• Insurance information;

• Contact information for the drivers;

• Witness information; and

• Other details concerning the collision.

Chubb's claims process may also involve obtaining repair estimates, evaluating vehicle damage, arranging a rental vehicle when applicable, and investigating what occurred.

Opening a Chubb claim does not necessarily mean Chubb has accepted responsibility for the accident.

If Chubb insures the other driver, the company may investigate:

• Whether its insured caused the collision;

• Whether another driver contributed;

• Whether the Chubb policy provides coverage;

• The amount of property damage;

• Whether your injuries resulted from the accident;

• Whether your medical treatment is related to the wreck;

• Your lost wages;

• Prior medical conditions; and

• The damages you are seeking.

Should I Call Chubb After a Dallas Car Accident?

If the person who caused your Dallas wreck has Chubb insurance, the collision generally needs to be reported so a liability claim can be opened.

But there is an important difference between reporting a claim and giving a detailed recorded statement concerning the accident, your injuries, and your medical history.

Chubb states that its claim examiner will ask questions about the accident after a claim is submitted.

If you were seriously injured, consider talking with an attorney before providing a lengthy or recorded statement to the other driver's insurance company.

Our guide explaining what to say when an insurance company calls after a Dallas car or truck wreck discusses this issue in greater detail.

A Dallas car accident attorney can help determine:

• What information Chubb reasonably needs;

• Whether a recorded statement should be provided;

• What evidence needs to be preserved;

• Whether surveillance or dash-camera footage exists;

• Whether additional people or companies may be responsible;

• Whether other insurance policies apply;

• Whether an umbrella or excess policy may exist; and

• Whether your own PIP or UM/UIM coverage is relevant.

What Information May Chubb Investigate?

After a serious collision, Chubb may consider evidence concerning both liability and damages.

That evidence may include:

• The police crash report;

• Driver statements;

• Witness statements;

• Vehicle photographs;

• Scene photographs;

• Dash-camera footage;

• Surveillance recordings;

• Traffic-camera footage;

• 911 recordings;

• Police body-camera footage;

• Vehicle event-data information;

• Medical documentation; and

• Other evidence concerning how the collision occurred.

An insurance company's investigation is not necessarily limited to the police officer's conclusion.

Chubb may conduct its own liability investigation based on the evidence available.

That is one reason an injured person should not assume the insurer will locate every piece of evidence that might help establish responsibility.

Video can disappear. Vehicles can be repaired. Electronic information may be overwritten. Witnesses can become difficult to locate.

What If Chubb Wants a Recorded Statement?

A Chubb claim examiner may ask you to describe how the collision happened.

If Chubb insures the other driver, do not assume you must immediately provide a recorded statement merely because one is requested.

A statement given early in a claim may become important later.

You could be answering detailed questions before:

• You have received the crash report;

• You have seen available video;

• Witnesses have been interviewed;

• You know the full extent of your injuries;

• You have undergone an MRI or CT scan;

• You have seen a specialist; or

• You know whether future treatment will be necessary.

Questions may include:

How fast were you driving?

When did you first see the other vehicle?

Could you have avoided the collision?

Were you distracted?

How are you feeling today?

Have you ever had neck or back problems before?

If you do not know an answer concerning speed, distance, timing, or another fact, do not guess.

What If Chubb Is My Own Insurance Company?

A claim under your own Chubb policy is different from a liability claim against another driver's Chubb policy.

If Chubb insures you, you may be making a first-party claim involving:

• Collision coverage;

• Comprehensive coverage;

• Personal Injury Protection;

• Medical Payments coverage;

• Uninsured motorist coverage;

• Underinsured motorist coverage; or

• Another policy benefit.

Your own policy may contain contractual duties requiring cooperation with Chubb's investigation.

That is different from dealing with Chubb solely because it insures the person who caused the accident.

If both you and the other driver have Chubb, ask which policy and coverage each claim examiner is handling.

Our article about what happens when both drivers have the same insurance company in Texas explains why separate adjusters may be handling different interests after the same collision.

What Makes a Chubb Auto Claim Different?

Chubb markets personal auto coverage that can include features not typically associated with basic automobile policies.

For example, Chubb offers insurance for:

• Personal vehicles;

• Luxury and high-value automobiles;

• Sports cars;

• Classic vehicles; and

• Vehicle collections.

You can review Chubb's personal automobile insurance information.

This can create additional issues after a serious accident.

The vehicle involved may have substantial value.

Property-damage repairs may involve specialized components or repair facilities.

More importantly for an injury claim, the driver may potentially have additional insurance beyond the basic auto policy.

That possibility needs to be investigated rather than assumed.

Does a Chubb Driver Have an Umbrella or Excess Liability Policy?

Maybe.

You should not assume that a person has umbrella insurance simply because Chubb insures the vehicle.

However, Chubb also sells personal umbrella and excess liability coverage.

Chubb explains that its personal excess liability insurance is designed to respond when underlying insurance limits—such as auto liability limits—are insufficient for a covered accident.

Chubb currently advertises personal excess liability limits ranging from $1 million to $100 million, although actual coverage depends entirely on the policy purchased and its terms.

This makes excess coverage an especially important issue to investigate after a catastrophic car accident involving a Chubb-insured driver.

For example, a serious wreck involving:

• Traumatic brain injury;

• Spinal cord injury;

• Multiple surgeries;

• Permanent disability;

• Significant lost earning capacity;

• Multiple injured victims; or

• Wrongful death

could potentially produce damages that exceed the limits of an underlying automobile policy.

In that situation, an applicable umbrella or excess liability policy may become important.

Again, the existence of a Chubb auto policy does not establish that excess coverage exists. The policies have to be identified and reviewed.

What If Chubb Says My Injuries Were Pre-Existing?

Insurance companies commonly investigate prior medical conditions in bodily injury claims.

You may be asked about:

• Previous neck pain;

• Prior back problems;

• Arthritis;

• Prior surgeries;

• Earlier car accidents;

• Previous MRIs;

• Prior injections; or

• Other similar treatment.

Having a prior medical condition does not automatically establish that a new accident caused no injury.

Depending on the medical evidence, a collision may:

• Cause a new injury;

• Aggravate an existing condition;

• Cause a previously asymptomatic condition to become painful; or

• Increase existing symptoms and limitations.

The relevant question often becomes how your condition before the collision compares with your condition afterward.

Can Chubb Ask for My Medical Records?

If you make a bodily injury claim, Chubb may request documentation supporting your claimed injuries.

That can include:

• Ambulance records;

• Emergency room records;

• Physician records;

• MRI and CT reports;

• Physical therapy records;

• Pain-management records;

• Surgical records;

• Medical bills; and

• Records concerning prior similar conditions.

Before signing a broad medical authorization, understand exactly what information the authorization permits Chubb to obtain.

Consider:

• Which providers are included;

• How far back the authorization reaches;

• What types of medical information may be obtained; and

• Whether unrelated medical records could be included.

Our guide to medical treatment, hospital liens, and medical bills after a Dallas car accident explains some of the medical-billing issues that may arise after a serious wreck.

What Is a Chubb Car Accident Claim Worth?

There is no predetermined settlement value for a Chubb car accident claim.

The potential value of an injury claim depends on the evidence.

Relevant factors may include:

• Who caused the collision;

• Whether liability is disputed;

• Whether multiple people contributed to the crash;

• The nature of your injuries;

• Emergency medical treatment;

• MRI or CT findings;

• Specialist care;

• Physical therapy;

• Injections;

• Surgery;

• Future medical treatment;

• Medical expenses;

• Lost income;

• Loss of earning capacity;

• Physical impairment;

• Pain and other compensable damages;

• The available auto liability limits;

• Whether an excess policy exists; and

• Whether additional responsible parties or policies exist.

The fact that Chubb is involved does not determine what a case is worth.

The underlying evidence does.

What If Chubb Makes a Settlement Offer?

Before accepting a bodily injury settlement, make sure you understand your medical condition and what rights the proposed release will terminate.

Consider whether you know:

• Your diagnosis;

• Whether additional imaging is needed;

• Whether you need specialist treatment;

• Whether injections are recommended;

• Whether surgery may be necessary;

• Whether you will continue missing work;

• Whether your injuries may create permanent limitations;

• Your total medical expenses;

• Whether medical liens or reimbursement claims exist;

• The amount of underlying liability coverage; and

• Whether additional excess or umbrella insurance may exist.

The Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel advises people handling third-party claims to carefully review releases before signing them.

Once an injury claim has been fully settled and released, you generally cannot simply return later and seek more money because your condition worsened.

What If Chubb Blames Me for the Wreck?

Chubb may determine that its insured was not entirely responsible.

That does not necessarily resolve the issue.

An insurance company's decision is based on the evidence available during its investigation.

Additional evidence may affect the liability analysis, including:

• Dash-camera footage;

• Nearby surveillance video;

• Witness statements;

• Traffic-camera evidence;

• Police recordings;

• Vehicle photographs;

• Crash-scene photographs;

• Event-data-recorder information;

• Cell-phone evidence when relevant; and

• Accident reconstruction evidence.

Texas proportionate-responsibility rules may affect an injury claim when more than one person contributed to the collision.

Preserving evidence can therefore be particularly important when fault is disputed.

What If the Chubb Driver Does Not Have Enough Auto Insurance?

A serious accident can produce damages that exceed the limits of an underlying automobile liability policy.

When that happens, the investigation should not necessarily stop at the auto declarations page.

Potential additional coverage could include:

• Personal umbrella insurance;

• Excess liability coverage;

• A business policy if the driver was working;

• Coverage associated with another responsible person or company; or

• Your own underinsured motorist insurance.

Chubb specifically offers personal umbrella coverage designed to sit above underlying auto and other liability policies.

Whether such coverage actually exists in your particular accident depends on the insured's policies.

If the responsible driver's available coverage is still insufficient, your own UIM insurance may potentially become relevant.

Read our guide to Texas uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.

What If My Own Chubb Policy Includes UM/UIM Coverage?

If Chubb is your insurer and the person who caused the accident has no insurance or inadequate insurance, your own coverage may become important.

Depending on the policy, you may have uninsured or underinsured motorist benefits.

A UIM claim is not necessarily automatic simply because the other driver's liability limits are insufficient.

Issues can still arise concerning:

• Liability;

• Your damages;

• Medical causation;

• The value of the claim;

• The amount of underlying insurance; and

• The terms of your Chubb policy.

Our Texas UM/UIM coverage guide explains these issues in more detail.

Chubb Property-Damage Claims After a Dallas Wreck

Chubb's auto claims program also places substantial emphasis on vehicle repairs.

Chubb states that policyholders may choose their own repair facility and that its claims team includes collision-repair professionals experienced with advanced vehicle designs.

Chubb also offers digital estimating options for some covered vehicle-damage claims.

You can review Chubb's auto physical-damage claims services.

Property-damage issues after a collision can include:

• Repair costs;

• Total-loss valuation;

• OEM or specialty parts;

• Towing;

• Storage;

• Rental expenses;

• Diminished value; and

• Damage to property inside the vehicle.

Property damage and bodily injury are separate components of a claim.

Before signing paperwork resolving vehicle damage, confirm that you are not unintentionally releasing your personal injury claim.

How Quickly Does Chubb Contact Its Insured After a Claim?

Chubb states that after an auto claim is submitted, it makes reasonable efforts to have a claim examiner contact the policyholder quickly.

For certain Masterpiece policyholders, Chubb states that it makes every effort to contact them within approximately six hours after the claim is reported.

That is a service standard Chubb describes for its own policyholders—not a deadline requiring Chubb to settle a third-party bodily injury claim within six hours.

This distinction matters.

The rules governing a claim under your own Chubb policy may be different from the rules that apply when Chubb insures the other driver.

When Should I Contact a Dallas Car Accident Lawyer About a Chubb Claim?

Consider speaking with an attorney when:

• You were transported by ambulance;

• You went to an emergency room;

• You suffered significant injuries;

• An MRI or CT scan revealed an injury;

• You need specialist treatment;

• Injections have been recommended;

• Surgery may be necessary;

• You have substantial medical expenses;

• You are missing work;

• Chubb disputes liability;

• Chubb says you contributed to the collision;

• You are asked for a recorded statement;

• You are asked to sign a broad medical authorization;

• Your injuries are blamed on a prior condition;

• You receive a settlement offer;

• The auto liability limits may be inadequate;

• Excess or umbrella coverage may need to be investigated;

• Multiple people were injured; or

• You are being asked to sign a release.

A serious injury claim involving Chubb may require investigating more than the underlying automobile policy.

How The Wooley Law Firm Can Help With a Chubb Car Accident Claim

If you hire The Wooley Law Firm after a serious Dallas car wreck, we can communicate with Chubb while you focus on treatment and recovery.

Depending on the circumstances, we may:

• Investigate how the collision occurred;

• Obtain the police crash report;

• Preserve dash-camera and surveillance video;

• Identify witnesses;

• Preserve vehicle and electronic evidence;

• Communicate with Chubb;

• Identify the applicable auto liability policy;

• Investigate possible umbrella or excess coverage;

• Identify other applicable insurance;

• Gather medical records and bills;

• Document lost income;

• Review liens and reimbursement issues;

• Document future medical needs;

• Prepare a settlement demand;

• Negotiate the injury claim;

• Review settlement releases; and

• File a lawsuit when appropriate.

Chubb is one of many insurance carriers that may be involved in a North Texas automobile collision. Our guide to auto insurance companies Dallas-Fort Worth drivers may encounter explains how the insurance carrier involved can affect the claims process.

Frequently Asked Questions About Chubb Car Accident Claims

How do I report a Chubb auto claim?

Chubb allows claims to be reported through its online claims center, by telephone, or through a Chubb agent.

Does the Chubb claim examiner represent me?

If Chubb insures the person who caused your collision, the examiner is handling a claim involving Chubb and its insured. The examiner is not your attorney.

Do I have to give Chubb a recorded statement?

Your obligations may depend on whether Chubb is your own insurer or the other driver's insurer. Your contractual obligations under your own policy can differ from the obligations of a third-party claimant.

Does every Chubb driver have umbrella insurance?

No. Chubb offers personal umbrella and excess liability coverage, but the existence and amount of any excess policy depend on what the insured actually purchased.

Why does excess insurance matter in a serious Chubb accident?

If a serious injury claim exceeds the underlying auto liability limits, applicable umbrella or excess insurance may provide another layer of coverage. Whether it applies depends on the actual policy.

What if I have Chubb and the person who hit me also has Chubb?

There may be multiple claims being handled under different policies or coverages. Ask which policy and which coverage each claim examiner is handling.

Can my own Chubb UIM coverage apply?

Potentially. If your policy includes applicable UIM coverage and the person responsible for the crash does not have enough insurance, your own policy may become relevant.

Should I accept Chubb's settlement offer?

That depends on your injuries, future medical needs, lost income, liability evidence, available auto limits, potential excess coverage, and the rights being released.

Injured by a Chubb-Insured Driver? Talk to a Dallas Car Accident Lawyer

If a Chubb-insured driver caused a serious Dallas collision, identifying the available insurance coverage can be especially important.

Do not assume the first auto policy you see is necessarily the only policy that could apply.

Before providing a detailed recorded statement, signing a broad medical authorization, accepting a bodily injury settlement, or signing a release, consider speaking with an attorney.

The Wooley Law Firm represents people injured in serious car accidents throughout Dallas and North Texas.

We can investigate the collision, preserve evidence, communicate with Chubb, identify available auto and potential excess insurance coverage, document medical treatment and lost income, evaluate damages, negotiate the claim, and file a lawsuit when necessary.

Learn more about how we represent injured motorists on our Dallas car accident lawyer page.

Call The Wooley Law Firm at (214) 699-6524 for a free consultation. You don't pay unless we win.

You can also contact The Wooley Law Firm online.

Tell us what happened. We can review your Dallas car accident claim and investigate the insurance coverage that may apply.

Disclaimer

This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Insurance coverage depends on the language of the actual policies and the facts of the individual claim. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.