My wife was at work at her place of business. Our car was parked in the public parking lot there. A woman backed into the side of our car. A police report was done.
My wife and I carry only No-Fault insurance on our car. So of course 'our' insurance company will be of no use to us in this matter.
I called the woman who backed into our car insurance company. Her insurance company told me to get a repair estimate and submit it to them. I did that.
A few days later, the woman's insurance company called us to say that the woman did not want to put the accident claim through her insurance, and that the woman wanted to handle the cost of our car repair out of her own pocket, and that I would need to contact the woman to work it out. I did that.
The woman tried to tell me that her insurance company insisted on three repair estimates. The woman tried to tell me that her insurance company said that three estimates was mandatory and required by law.
I have since found out that, #1. Three estimates manadatory required by law is not true. By law, only one estimate is necessary to provide to the insurance company. #2. The woman lied, because her own insurance company themself told me that they never told her any such thing. #3. The woman denies she ever told me that now. #4. The woman told me that she would call her insurance company and put through our claim.
It still hasn't been done. I called the woman's insurance company again. The insurance company said that they could do nothing with the claim whatsoever, not until the woman called them and authorized the pursuit of the claim. Which the woman still has not done yet.
The repair estimate that 'we' obtained was in the amount of $818.01. I called the woman again. The woman told me that she obtained her own estimate, and that amount was for $580.00. The woman told me that her insurance company told her that I had to honor the estimate that the woman had solicited, because it is the lowest cost.
I called the woman's insurance company again. After I told the insurance company that it wasn't 'we' who approached the repair shop for that estimate, but in fact it was the woman who took it upon herself to have someone come and look at our car without our knowledge noe approval, the woman's insurance company said that NO, the woman was not aloowed to do that, nor were we obligated nor could we be forced to go with that estimate. In addition, I went ahead and checked that out with our own insurance company as well, and our insurance company confirmed the same fact.
I have called the woman for the third time today. The woman will not return my calls now.
To verify yet one more time....did this woman indeed act inappropriately....can we in anyway be forced to use the woman's self solicited estimate? And if the woman refuses to accept that, continues to refuse to return my calls, what are my options now?
Thank you much for any attention to what I know is quite a long winded post.
Ron
My wife and I carry only No-Fault insurance on our car. So of course 'our' insurance company will be of no use to us in this matter.
I called the woman who backed into our car insurance company. Her insurance company told me to get a repair estimate and submit it to them. I did that.
A few days later, the woman's insurance company called us to say that the woman did not want to put the accident claim through her insurance, and that the woman wanted to handle the cost of our car repair out of her own pocket, and that I would need to contact the woman to work it out. I did that.
The woman tried to tell me that her insurance company insisted on three repair estimates. The woman tried to tell me that her insurance company said that three estimates was mandatory and required by law.
I have since found out that, #1. Three estimates manadatory required by law is not true. By law, only one estimate is necessary to provide to the insurance company. #2. The woman lied, because her own insurance company themself told me that they never told her any such thing. #3. The woman denies she ever told me that now. #4. The woman told me that she would call her insurance company and put through our claim.
It still hasn't been done. I called the woman's insurance company again. The insurance company said that they could do nothing with the claim whatsoever, not until the woman called them and authorized the pursuit of the claim. Which the woman still has not done yet.
The repair estimate that 'we' obtained was in the amount of $818.01. I called the woman again. The woman told me that she obtained her own estimate, and that amount was for $580.00. The woman told me that her insurance company told her that I had to honor the estimate that the woman had solicited, because it is the lowest cost.
I called the woman's insurance company again. After I told the insurance company that it wasn't 'we' who approached the repair shop for that estimate, but in fact it was the woman who took it upon herself to have someone come and look at our car without our knowledge noe approval, the woman's insurance company said that NO, the woman was not aloowed to do that, nor were we obligated nor could we be forced to go with that estimate. In addition, I went ahead and checked that out with our own insurance company as well, and our insurance company confirmed the same fact.
I have called the woman for the third time today. The woman will not return my calls now.
To verify yet one more time....did this woman indeed act inappropriately....can we in anyway be forced to use the woman's self solicited estimate? And if the woman refuses to accept that, continues to refuse to return my calls, what are my options now?
Thank you much for any attention to what I know is quite a long winded post.
Ron
