Welcome to the Informational Website for the Spielman v. USAA Settlement.

If You Insured a Leased Vehicle Under a USAA California Auto Insurance Policy and Did Not Receive Payment for Sales Tax and Vehicle Regulatory Fees after the Vehicle was Totaled, You May Be Eligible for a Payment Under a Class Action Settlement.

The Settlement would resolve a lawsuit regarding the payment of California sales/use tax and vehicle regulatory fees for leased vehicles that were totaled and were insured under a California Automobile Insurance Policy issued by a USAA company. The lawsuit generally alleges that the USAA companies failed to pay the full amount of sales/use tax and vehicle regulatory fees on leased vehicles. This case does NOT involve vehicles that are owned by the USAA policyholder.

The USAA companies deny any wrongdoing and maintain that they have complied with and exceeded their obligations under California law and their insurance policies. The Court has not ruled on the merits of the claims.

The Court has granted preliminary approval of the Settlement. Under the Settlement, there will be a $3.05 million Settlement Fund. If the Court approves the Settlement, Class Members may be eligible for a payment based on their share of the Settlement Fund, after the payment of attorneys’ fees and expenses, any Class Representative service award, and the costs of notice and settlement administration. The exact amount each Class Member will be paid cannot be calculated until the Court approves the Settlement, and the fees, expenses, and total number of participating Class Members are determined.

The Court has scheduled a Final Approval Hearing (also called a “Fairness Hearing”) for April 17, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. (Pacific Time). Please note that this date and time could change, so please check this website for developments, or contact us for more information.

To learn more about the terms of the proposed Settlement, and to find out if you are a member of the Settlement Class, you should read the Class Notice and review the Frequently Asked Questions provided on this website.


Summary of Your Legal Rights and Options in This Settlement
Exclude Yourself Get no payment. This is the only option that allows you to ever be a part of any other lawsuit against the USAA companies about the legal claims in this case.
Object Write to the Court about why you don’t like the Settlement.
Go to a Hearing Ask to speak in Court about the fairness of the Settlement.
Current Policyholders:
Do Nothing
Get a share of the Settlement Fund. Current Policyholders (see FAQ 9 ) do not need to do anything to receive such a payment.
Former Policyholders:
Do Nothing
Get no payment. Give up rights. If you are a Class Member, the terms of the Settlement will still apply to you. To be eligible for a payment, you must return an Address Verification Form

Former Policyholders:
Submit Address Verification Form
If you are a Former Policyholder (see FAQ 9 ) and submit a timely Address Verification Form, you will be eligible for a share of the Settlement Fund. You may mail the Address Verification Form mailed to you, or you may submit your Address Verification Form online here.

These rights and options — and the deadlines to exercise them — are explained further on the Class Notice and this website.