29% of Your UIM Premiums Back: Travelers NM Settlement

What happened

Class period: January 1, 2015 through August 16, 2022

• A class action called Aguilar-Tafoya and Brewton v. The Travelers Indemnity Company, et al. was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico (Case No. 1:23-0247 JB/JMR)
• UIM stands for underinsured motorist coverage. You buy it so you are covered when the at-fault driver's insurance is not enough
• The lawsuit claims Travelers sold "illusory" UIM coverage in New Mexico auto policies, meaning it collected premiums while keeping the right to subtract the at-fault driver's liability coverage from your benefit
• That subtraction is called a Schmick offset, after a 1985 New Mexico Supreme Court case. The lawsuit says Travelers never explained its effect
• In some cases the offset reduced UIM benefits to a smaller amount, or wiped them out entirely
• Travelers denies all of it and says it followed the policies and the law. It settled to avoid the cost and risk of a trial
• It affects people insured under New Mexico auto policies with UIM coverage from 15 Travelers-affiliated companies between January 1, 2015 and August 16, 2022

What you can get

Key dates

Who may qualify

• You were insured under a New Mexico automobile insurance policy that included UIM coverage
• The policy was issued by Travelers or one of its 15 affiliated companies listed on the official site
• The coverage was in place at some point between January 1, 2015 and August 16, 2022
• Heirs, executors, administrators, successors, and assigns of class members are also included
• You do NOT need to have filed a UIM claim to qualify for the premium option
• You are not a current or former officer or director of Travelers, Class Counsel or their resident relatives, the Judge or their resident relatives, or defense counsel of record or their resident relatives

How to file

1. Go to https://aguilaruimclasssettlement.com/Login
2. Log in with the Unique ID and PIN printed on the notice you got in the mail or by email
3. If you never got a notice or lost it, call the Claims Administrator at 1-877-367-8719
4. On the form, pick ONE option: 29% premium return, or a reevaluation of your old UIM claim. You cannot have both
5. Attach supporting documents if you pick the claim reevaluation option
6. To file on paper, download the Claim Form, sign and date it, and mail it to Aguilar-Tafoya and Brewton v. Travelers, Claims Administrator, P.O. Box 5413, Portland, OR 97228-5413
7. Your claim must be received online or postmarked by September 27, 2026
8. Save the confirmation email and code you get after filing online

Proof required

• The 29% premium option needs no documents. Travelers has your premium records
• The claim reevaluation option may require you to provide supporting documentation about your claim on request
• Wrongful death class members need no claim form at all. Payment is automatic
• The Claims Administrator can ask any claimant for more information, and a claim that does not supply it on time will be rejected and not paid

Payment timing

Payments go out only after the Court grants final approval and any objections or appeals are resolved. Premium return claims are paid within 90 days of the Effective Date, and no later than 60 days after the claim deadline. Reevaluation claims are paid within 120 days of the Effective Date, or within 30 days after a Neutral Evaluator decision, and no later than 90 days after the claim deadline. The site does not list payment methods.

Important links

• Official website
• Claim form
• FAQs
• Documents

Contact

Extra details

• Two paths, one choice. Pick the 29% premium return or the claim reevaluation. Choosing reevaluation means you cannot switch back to the premium option, even if the reevaluation pays you nothing
• The premium option is the safe pick for most people. It requires no documents and does not depend on how your old claim gets valued
• Reevaluation only makes sense if a UIM offset actually reduced or denied your benefits. If you were already paid with no offset applied, you are not eligible for it
• Disagreements over reevaluation value go to a Neutral Evaluator whose decision is final and cannot be appealed
• Wrongful death claimants are paid the full offset amount automatically and do not need to file
• Attorney fees of up to $2,100,000 are paid separately by Travelers and do not reduce what class members receive
• The release in this settlement is broad. It covers known and unknown claims tied to UIM premiums, Schmick offsets, and related bad faith and Unfair Trade Practices Act claims. Read FAQ 5 before you file
• Class Counsel in Albuquerque can answer questions for free. Contact details are in FAQ 13
• Watch for scams. File only through the official site, and never pay a fee to submit a claim

FAQ

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