Hit & run last night, got the guys plate, anytihng I can do?
07-19-2012 | 12:48 AM
#31
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From: Silver Spring, MD
Well, like I mentioned above, the thing that really pisses me off is that the system seems to be designed to brush incidents like this aside. Even were he not bigger than me, and probably broke, I think if I win this one small battle I'll be getting my car fixed, slapping the ins. co. on the wrist, and punishing this guy all in one shot, while not doing anything wrong/illegal/****ty myself.
08-30-2012 | 01:34 PM
#32
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From: Silver Spring, MD
Update: I win. The insurance company cut me a check.
The cover story, of course, was that when they went out to look at the guy's car the second time they saw damage from the accident that they missed the first time around. Sure they did... What really happened, I'm sure, was that they realized litigation is going to cost more than fixing my car.
This was just a game of patience. Once it was clear that it'll be more expensive for the insurance company to keep trying to sweep things under the rug and blow me off than it will be for them to fix the damage that they are responsible for they sent a check.
The cover story, of course, was that when they went out to look at the guy's car the second time they saw damage from the accident that they missed the first time around. Sure they did... What really happened, I'm sure, was that they realized litigation is going to cost more than fixing my car.
This was just a game of patience. Once it was clear that it'll be more expensive for the insurance company to keep trying to sweep things under the rug and blow me off than it will be for them to fix the damage that they are responsible for they sent a check.
08-30-2012 | 02:39 PM
#36
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2001
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From: Palm Beach
Congrats. Yeah its a hassle but knowledge is power. And once you learn how small claims court works its a valuable asset to have in the arsenal because it is affordable, you dont need an atty and it has teeth.
10-22-2012 | 02:40 PM
#38
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Just a second follow up, because this really did end up working out well for me. The initial estimate for the damages was $712, which seemed OK to me, since it was just a minor scrape on the driver's front quarter panel.
After dropping the car off, the shop calls me and says they can certainly repair it for the money I've been given, but to do things right, blending the paint etc., he'd want to paint the whole front bumper, otherwise I'll have a side that looks brand new, and the other will be full of stone chips. And, if he's going to paint the bumper he'll want to blend on to the header panel and the headlight doors so they have no chips either... and the hood, etc. etc. So he called up the insurance company and got an adjuster out there to look at the car again.
They cut me a check for an additional $923. So they've paid $1,635 towards the repairs. The shop calls me, lets me know this, and mentions that for just a little more money ($300) he'll repair and paint the passenger rear fender, which is the only remaining spot on the car with any damage (from the PO, years ago). I gave him the OK. Then I called up the insurance company and asked them to write a me check for what would otherwise cover the rental car I'm entitled to (which I don't need because the 951 isn't my DD). That amounted to another $150.
So in the end I basically got back a car that looks new, with all the nicks and dents from over 20 years of driving gone, and it cost me $150! I'm pretty thrilled, and it was worth the frustration and time it took.
I hope something in my posts will be helpful to anyone else getting worked over by an insurance company. Remember there's nothing that forces you to accept their first offer.
After dropping the car off, the shop calls me and says they can certainly repair it for the money I've been given, but to do things right, blending the paint etc., he'd want to paint the whole front bumper, otherwise I'll have a side that looks brand new, and the other will be full of stone chips. And, if he's going to paint the bumper he'll want to blend on to the header panel and the headlight doors so they have no chips either... and the hood, etc. etc. So he called up the insurance company and got an adjuster out there to look at the car again.
They cut me a check for an additional $923. So they've paid $1,635 towards the repairs. The shop calls me, lets me know this, and mentions that for just a little more money ($300) he'll repair and paint the passenger rear fender, which is the only remaining spot on the car with any damage (from the PO, years ago). I gave him the OK. Then I called up the insurance company and asked them to write a me check for what would otherwise cover the rental car I'm entitled to (which I don't need because the 951 isn't my DD). That amounted to another $150.
So in the end I basically got back a car that looks new, with all the nicks and dents from over 20 years of driving gone, and it cost me $150! I'm pretty thrilled, and it was worth the frustration and time it took.
I hope something in my posts will be helpful to anyone else getting worked over by an insurance company. Remember there's nothing that forces you to accept their first offer.
10-22-2012 | 04:09 PM
#39
Pro
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 521
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From: Tennessee
Just a second follow up, because this really did end up working out well for me. The initial estimate for the damages was $712, which seemed OK to me, since it was just a minor scrape on the driver's front quarter panel.
After dropping the car off, the shop calls me and says they can certainly repair it for the money I've been given, but to do things right, blending the paint etc., he'd want to paint the whole front bumper, otherwise I'll have a side that looks brand new, and the other will be full of stone chips. And, if he's going to paint the bumper he'll want to blend on to the header panel and the headlight doors so they have no chips either... and the hood, etc. etc. So he called up the insurance company and got an adjuster out there to look at the car again.
They cut me a check for an additional $923. So they've paid $1,635 towards the repairs. The shop calls me, lets me know this, and mentions that for just a little more money ($300) he'll repair and paint the passenger rear fender, which is the only remaining spot on the car with any damage (from the PO, years ago). I gave him the OK. Then I called up the insurance company and asked them to write a me check for what would otherwise cover the rental car I'm entitled to (which I don't need because the 951 isn't my DD). That amounted to another $150.
So in the end I basically got back a car that looks new, with all the nicks and dents from over 20 years of driving gone, and it cost me $150! I'm pretty thrilled, and it was worth the frustration and time it took.
I hope something in my posts will be helpful to anyone else getting worked over by an insurance company. Remember there's nothing that forces you to accept their first offer.
After dropping the car off, the shop calls me and says they can certainly repair it for the money I've been given, but to do things right, blending the paint etc., he'd want to paint the whole front bumper, otherwise I'll have a side that looks brand new, and the other will be full of stone chips. And, if he's going to paint the bumper he'll want to blend on to the header panel and the headlight doors so they have no chips either... and the hood, etc. etc. So he called up the insurance company and got an adjuster out there to look at the car again.
They cut me a check for an additional $923. So they've paid $1,635 towards the repairs. The shop calls me, lets me know this, and mentions that for just a little more money ($300) he'll repair and paint the passenger rear fender, which is the only remaining spot on the car with any damage (from the PO, years ago). I gave him the OK. Then I called up the insurance company and asked them to write a me check for what would otherwise cover the rental car I'm entitled to (which I don't need because the 951 isn't my DD). That amounted to another $150.
So in the end I basically got back a car that looks new, with all the nicks and dents from over 20 years of driving gone, and it cost me $150! I'm pretty thrilled, and it was worth the frustration and time it took.
I hope something in my posts will be helpful to anyone else getting worked over by an insurance company. Remember there's nothing that forces you to accept their first offer.
