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Auto Insurance Claims/Bumper's paint chipped off

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Expert: - 6/15/2010


Question
Hi, I recently took my car to get it washed at a car wash that uses the typical machine that pushes your car through, and when I arrived to my house I saw that the paint of most of my front bumper had been chipped off and the bumper was fine before washing it. They do have signs that say enter at own risk. Can this be claimed on my insurance?

Answer
Hi,

I picked this up from the question pool and it was not sent directly to me.

You can turn a claim in but by the time you are done it is going to cost more than it is worth. Was it a used car? Did anyone do any paint work to it that you know of? It sounds like the paint did not have the proper flex additive. You could complain to the car wash. If new, this should be covered under warranty.

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Rob Painter, Ase, CFEI, CAFATE

Expertise

Please remember. I am not an attorney and cannot legal advice. My answers are based on my experience due to litigation I have been involved in as an expert, for both insurance companies and while oposing them opposing them. I deal with only comprehensive claims on autos related to fire and theft. I have even had the opportunity to rewrite policy coverage language as it relates to vehicle theft and forced entry for insurance defense attorneys.

Experience

Experience in the area: Working with insurance companies and attorneys on these issues for over 20 years. It is very common to have a reported stolen car with a so-called factory anti-theft system to have the theft claim denied. I have served successfully as an expert witness in the courts across the US representing the insured and their attorney revealing that the insurance expert did not take all known theories into consideration before rendering their "Forensic" conclusion. Many insurance carriers us independent "Forensic" experts to examine reported stolen vehicles commonly using flawed methodology implicating the innocent insured with the theft. My job is to determine if the insurance expert reached his conclusions based on accepted scientific principals or just net opinion with no basis other than opinion. My case record against such experts is very compelling.My resume can be seen at the catagory "Auto Theft and Prevention." In "Forensics" the scientific method must be employed. In the forensic locksmith field determining how a reported stolen vehicle was last operated, many processes cannot be duplicated and are conveniently not addressed. If they were, juries would have the opportunity to make a fair and impartial opinion at least about what the expert could or could not prove. There is a purported process determining the last key used. The chances of determining such is very rare uless the key is found in the ignition lock. Experts commonly destroy evidence as well and are rarely questioned on this event. I reveal the weakness in their testimony on such instances.

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