Q: Insurance is asking for more than what accident is worth, what should I do?
I got into an accident in Sept. 2016, it was my fault. There was a white mini-van in front of me (1996 cadillac deville) on a right turn (with it's own turning lane) out of a shopping center that was going for it, and suddenly slammed on the breaks. I let go of my breaks, so I slowly rolled into her. My car got most damage, she got a dent no bigger than 16" diameter. She was on her phone; it was in her hand while her speaker was on Blutooth. I got out and asked if she was fine, or if she had kids (it was just her), she rolled the window and yelled, "WTF, are you texting and driving?" (I was NOT, I'm anxious/paranoid as is). I said, "No, but YOU are on YOUR phone". After that, she called the cops, and they determined that my car wasn't "driveable" and towed it. Her car was fine, so she drove away. Now, I got a letter saying that I owe about $3,330 in damages? I'll pay for it to get fixed, but that's about $400 TOPS. What are my general options? Thank you for your time!
A:
Based on your question I assume that you do not have insurance (which is required...). If you do have insurance, the valuation is something that your insurance company handles. If you do not have insurance, you can request documentation related to valuation. There might be something that can be challenge (although if this information is coming from the insurance agency versus the minivan owner I would tend to think that a reputable collision repair center was chosen).
FYI: minvans have unusually high bumper repair costs because of the way the bumper hooks into the chassis. The connection is frequently damaged in all but the most minor collisions. This often results in increased labor costs and additional need of parts beyond a bumper.
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