I hit a car in a parking lot while driving a friends vehicle.

by Tina
(North Carolina)

I hit a car in the parking lot where I work. I was driving a friends vehicle at the time of the accident. I notified the owner of the vehicle and offered to pay for it out of pocket. She provided me with an estimate that was almost triple what I was thinking the damages totaled.

I called my insurance company to see if they would pay and because I was not driving my car they will not pay.

What rights do I have?

I feel that this person is trying to get over on me. I have a friend that does car body repair and he said it should be no more than $250 to fix, her estimate is close to $600.

Can I require her to go get other estimates since I will be the one paying?

Answer:


Hello Tina,

Well, insurance follows the car. The insurance company of the vehicle you were driving should pay for the damages. If there is no coverage, it is very likely that your insurance company will be a secondary coverage and would cover you there.

If you decide to pay for yourself, then make sure you have a written release that says that this is the final payment. You do not want them to come back for more money after you pay a certain amount.

Insurance companies require often people to go to different shops and actually cap the hourly rate bodyshops charge. They negotiate the price of parts and supply, etc. They do not allow people to go to dealerships.

We do not see why you would be required to have only one estimate. You could ask for a second one to see if there is a big discrepancy in the price.


Good Luck,
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