Expert: Charlie Barone - 9/17/2009

Question
I was involved in an accident 3 weeks ago.I am just hearing from the guys insurance company.I had three estimates done on my vehicle by replicable body shops.All of the estimates are within 50 to 100 dollars of each other.The adjuster gave me an estimate that was 1000 under budget.What do i need to do next to dispute this ridiculous offer?What are my rights as a victim of an accident that was not my fault?Am i not able to pick the place i want to fix it or if i plan on doing the repair myself should i not be compensated for doing the repair?

Answer
Jeremy,

You can take your car to any place you want. It's your choice. Furthermore, the liability carrier owes you the retail cost of repairs to your car's pre-loss conditon, regardless of whether you fix it, a body shop does the work or you drive the car damaged.

The liability carrier has no legal duty to you, but their policyholder does. Send a letter by certified mail to the insurance company and tell them that you will take legal action against their insured if they don't settle your claim fairly. Send a copy to the at-fault party.

Charlie