Parking Lot Door Damage

[Erik]

Hello, I have a question. My brand new car, which i haven't even made the first payment on had paint scrapped off its door, by another cars door. I did not see the driver actually do it, but when I arrived at my car (I parked really far away, out of everyone's way, so this doesn't happen) I found the damage, obviously done from the car that was parked next to me (the car's door had damage on it, which is what actually caused the paint to be scraped off). I took plenty of pictures and left a note. They never called back. So I contacted my insurance company, who then contacted theirs. It turns out that they are no longer insured, so their insurance obviously can't do anything about this. Is there anything I can do? I have their plate and VIN number. I don't want to file against my own policy.
(My insurance company informed me, that it doesn't matter who was driving, it's the car owners responsibility, in case they try to say they loaned the car to someone)
Thanks, Happy Holidays!

 

[djs]

I suggest getting an estimate to get the door fixed. Knowing this will help decide your next steps.

Options...
1. Why worry about filing against your own policy. That is what it is there for. It would be rated 'not at fault', they would pursue the other party for you. You would pay your deductible, unless you had uninsured motorist coverage. This is your best option at this point, least headaches.

2. File a small claims case against the owner of the car. Make sure you include 'any operators' to avoid the wiggle room of someone else was driving. This will take months and then you will have to actually collect the judgement.

3. Pay the repair bill out of pocket and wake up tomorrow and move forward. Option 1 is better if this is above your deductible.

Can you explain why you don't want to use your insurance company for what you pay them to do? If you were at fault, I would understand, in this case though, what would the concern be?.

Dan

 

[Erik]

I didn't realize that it wouldn't count against me, thanks for that info.

If the damage happens to be less than my deductible, can I still file a claim through my insurance.. Making me pay out of pocket. Then have the insurance company go after them to reimburse me?

 

[INSUREGEEK]

I didn't realize that it wouldn't count against me, thanks for that info.

If the damage happens to be less than my deductible, can I still file a claim through my insurance.. Making me pay out of pocket. Then have the insurance company go after them to reimburse me?

You can file that claim....just know that you owe the FIRST $500-$1000+ (whatever your deductible happens to be) of the claim. IF the damage is less than your deductible, it's all on you. Fix it or don't.

Get an estimate and let us know that amount. I know I can help you from there. Repairs these days can cost way more than you think if you want it to look good as new.