*His* insurance refuses to reimburse my rental.

My car was "front ended" and his insurance is disputing my car rental. I was in a rental for three weeks and five days. They're only paying for five days because they say that's how long it takes to repair the damage I had.

They're saying they only pay for repair time and that it's standard practice for the auto repair company to put the car back together if it's driveable and let me drive it until the parts come in. I needed a new front bumper, hood and the brackets to hold the radiator plus a few brackets and bits. The radiator was fine and the car was driveable before I dropped it off. I got a call from the repair place the following week saying that once they got in and started to do the work they found more damage and had to order more parts. The estimate went from $1800 to $2800. I dropped my car off on Jan. 15 and picked it up on Feb. 9.

She said they're only paying for the five days it should have taken to repair the car, not for the time they had to wait for the parts to arrive. I'm surprised she didn't say they don't pay for the time it takes the paint to dry.

I told her this was unacceptable. Did they expect them to put the car back together and me drive it until the parts came it? She said yes. I told her they had to order more parts after they started to work on it. She said she'd talk to her higher up and try to get me an additional 5 days reimbursement. I siad this was still unacceptable and I would have to take her client to court. She said that's fine, but they'd be there representing him.

I have never heard of anything so stupid in my life. I've already got a call in to the auto repair place for a letter detailing the timeline of the repairs, parts ordered and arrival. I'm also going to call around town to poll auto repair places on whether they put cars back together to let the clients drive them around until the parts they ordered come in.

Why? Well, I'm taking their client to court. She says they'll be right there representing their client. Right. I'm so sure a lawyer from Met Life is going to small claims court over four weeks of car rental. You'd think they'd be overjoyed they didn't have to pay any medical bills for injury but no, they have to be cheap-a$$ over the car rental.

Personally, I think they're jerking my chain AND trying to scare me off of sueing them. Yes. I'm sueing them. If they did the right thing I wouldn't have to. I pushed the repair place to get my car fixed as fast as possible. I called them every week. Almost daily the last week. Nobody was dragging their feet. And it's not like mine was the ONLY car they were working on. Or maybe this is retailiation for not using *their* repair facility even though I have the right to have my car repaired anywhere I choose.

Anyway I thought I'd ask. How many of you dropped your car off to have major repairs, then picked it up and drove it around until the parts arrived? I'd also like to know who had a hood, bumper and radiator brackets repaired in FIVE days. BTW after they were in there they found I needed two new headlights. So they ordered those Jan. 23. Car was finally ready on Feb. 9.

 

My policy doesn't cover rental so they won't reimburse me and then go after the other guy. I understand they are also giving my insurance company the run around on some of the repairs as well. I have a call in to my adjustor to find out what they have from his insurance company. Apparently they aren't denying he was at fault or anything. They're just nickel and diming and dragging their feet.

It looks like if I want to get full reimbursement, I'll have to go to court. Mostly an inconvenience for me because I won't lose any pay. But I'll bet he will. I will be curious to see if the Met Life lawyer is there standing next to him in small claims.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Apr 20 2007, 09:18 AM) [snapback]426673[/snapback]</div>

The hood was crumpled in and Auto repair guy assumed the latch would need to be replaced without even opening the hood. (Yep, needed hood and latch). He said once he opened the hood there was no guarantee he could lock it down again so assume at that point car becomes inoperable. He also assumed from looking at the outside it would need brackets for holding radiator. The radiator was fine (not leaking, not holes or obvious damage) but it needed new brackets. Also new front bumper cover/grill. And new license plate holder. A week later they told me that in working on the car they found both headlight casings were cracked in the back from being pushed in. So they had to order a pair of headlights. Car was in repair from Jan. 15 to Feb. 9.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Apr 20 2007, 08:38 AM) [snapback]426644[/snapback]</div>

My insurance offers rental, I chose not to purchase it. They did reimburse me the deductible and cost of the bug deflector but are not reimbursing me for the rental because I don't have rental. I have to get that from the other guy's insurance. But they have called them several times.

I've called the repair shop again about a letter. Didn't hear back again today. I'll be faxing them on Monday.

My company is taking care of me fine. Rental isn't their responsibility but they are making the calls anyway. They simply won't reimburse me because it's not on my policy.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rick Auricchio @ Apr 20 2007, 11:28 AM) [snapback]426789[/snapback]</div>

That's what I thought. I mean, a lawyer can show up, but he can't talk or represent the other guy.

I've been to small claims in 2005. I had to sue the car wash place that detailed my Saturn before I sold it. They steam cleaned the original leather upholstery and it shrunk so bad the seams split, it cracked and rippled. I won, but not the entire amount. It was enough to get the seats (but not backs) redone and a new headliner. That shrunk too.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MarinJohn @ Apr 20 2007, 12:56 PM) [snapback]426853[/snapback]</div>

Yes, I'm sure. I've been rearended before and had whiplash.

He wasn't going that fast. I didn't feel anything afterwards. I know it can take a few days or even a week. But it's been three months and nothing.

Now I do have two herniated discs in my lower back so I was very concerned about being in an unknown rental car for who knew how long. So I went to the trouble of finding a place that rented Prii. My mother drove me to Carlsbad to get it. So my back was fine for the time my car was in the shop. So I can't even claim that my lower back condition was aggravated by being in a cheap rental car.

You'd think they'd be relieved they got off with NO medical bills, but no....cheap-a$$.

Let that be a lesson to anyone looking for insurance....avoid Metropolitan Direct Property and Casualty Insurance. (Must be connected to Met Life because that's how they answer the phone.)

BTW I've got all receipts, letters etc including a voided check they sent for car repairs. And I've been documenting all phone calls, etc on my iCal so I can provide a journal/diary if needed. They really don't know who they're dealing with.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rand Reed @ Apr 21 2007, 06:14 PM) [snapback]427462[/snapback]</div>

If I name the insurance company, then they have a right to be there.

If I win against the client, the claim is submitted to the insurance company and they pay. He'll only get stuck with court costs. Maybe he can get them to pay that too since it's their fault he had to lose a day's pay and pay the rental plus court costs.

Yes, I may be counting my chickens, but I don't see how I can be denied reimbursement. At any rate, I'll be talking to my insurance adjustor to see where they are in their negotiations over the repair bill, then I'll be picking up a small claims form.