Auto Insurance Claims: auto claim, collision insurance, auto claim

Question
A college student had a seizure while driving on campus and subsequently hit two parked cars(luckily no one in either, and the driver was ok).  The driver has total collision insurance of only 10,000(state minimum).  My  girlfriend filed two claims; one with the driver's company(USAA) and one with her own company, State Farm.   State Farm claims that her deductible and rental costs will be reimbursed/paid by USAA.  USAA refutes that, stating that the money will be distributed among both individuals involved, along with the city since a stop sign was hit.  They claimed that a decision/agreement among all parties on the allocation of funds must occur prior to payments.  One of the cars is likely totaled(2002 PT Cruiser) and there's approximately 6-7,000 in damage to the girlfriend's car.  Who really decides the allocation, and what options do we have to ensure she's not stuck with the deductible/rental bills?

Answer
Hi Casey,

Unfortunately,  you have no options. When there are multiple vehicles involved in a collision and only a limited amount of coverage, then the available amount of coverage is pro-rated and divided up amongst all of the damaged vehicles. The way the pro-ration works is that each party will be paid/reimbursed for the percentage that their damage represents to the total amount damage and of the coverage available. So if the total damages (repairs and rental) to all vehicles is $18,000.00 and your damages are $8,000.00 then your damage represents 44% of the total damage. You would then be reimbursed 44% of your total damage or $3,520.00.  If your insurance company has paid out the claim for you, they will receive the 44% payout and you will be reimbursed 44% of your deductible.

I hope this helps
Richard Hixenbaugh