If the only damage is the bumper cover then why not check eBay or LKQ for one in a matching color and then have it installed. It should not even require a body shop to do this. A general mechanic would work fine or even some mobile mechanic.
For clarification, the OP only has liability coverage and not collision or any other coverage. So the insurance company has no role to play in dealing with the issue unless he were being sued. Once a girl bashed my door in in the parking lot in Wisconsin and left a note with her insurance information. When I got home to Minnesota and got an estimate, they paid the full amount no problem, no hassle. I guess it just depends on the company you are dealing with but if I would have had a problem, my insurance company would have handled it.
just take them to small claims court. They will pay you as soon as they are notified because it costs them more to fight you then to pay you.
Maybe but the judge is not going to listen to the case unless an effort has been made to settle the case. In anything, before they go off to court, people have the obligation to attempt to reach an agreement and give the other party the opportunity to perform. In this case, a mere $200 bumper cover and hagling over a 10 or 20% discount is kind of petty. Now if the bumper cover was damaged though, the car should be thoroughly inspected for hidden damage. Maybe that would up the ante.
Any decent insurance company has lawyers on retainer, and would not just settle due to a small claims notice. Also, don’t think that getting some personal injury lawyer that tells you he will get what you deserve is going to save the day. They will be taking a third of any settlement, and that may be more taken from you than you would lose dealing directly with the company.
They might. Those lawyers cost a lot ($200/hr and up). Insurance companies have settled for a lot more even when they knew they were in the right. It was cheaper to settle then go to court and fight it.
If you need legal advice, pay for it from a lawyer, because you often get what you pay for.
This is an automotive forum, not a good place to find reliable legal advice.
If you’re planning to go to small claims court, the court clerks are often helpful with these kinds of questions since they are used to getting them. See if you can find a helpful court clerk to answer these questions.
2 Likes
I think a bumper cover, plus prep work and painting, costs WAY more than $200
They were also the community’s surgeons, many, many years ago.
I think that most people would be surprised to find out the origin of the striped barber pole!