Expert: Richard Hixenbaugh - 9/24/2010

Question
My wife was recently t-boned by a driver who ran a red light.  Her car had heavy damage on the front end.  Part of the damage was a ruined tire.  The insurance company is pro-rating the wear of the tire and making us pay for some of the "unused" rubber left.  I can't figure out how they can make us assume some financial responsibility when there client is the one at fault, and will we get any other phone calls making us pay for and other parts of the car?

Answer
Hi Ben,

Unfortunately, this is a legitimate charge. When an insurance company replaces a part that would normally wear out over time, they can not replace that part with another used part that is worn to the same degree, due to liability reasons. The vehicle owner is required to pay for the portion of the part they had already used. The insurance company pays for the portion of the part that their insured kept you from getting use of. This is a normal practice.

I hope this helps
Richard Hixenbaugh