Legal Question in Personal Injury in Virginia
Fender bender & high estimate
My daughter admitted fault in a parking lot fender bender that cracked the bumper cover on an 03 Huyndai Santa Fe.
Since it's minor, I'm insisting that she deal without it outside of an insurance claim.
The car's owner came back with an estimate of nealy $1000 plus a demand for a rental car.
My daughter is 21 and a college student but we still pay for her insurance (which is already quite high). She can't afford a $1000 lump sum expense.
What can she do?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Fender bender & high estimate
The damaged car's owner should provide at least two estimates for the repair cost. Also, it might be worth proposing an installment plan to the owner of the Santa Fe for payments over a period of three to four months, explaining that your daughter's current student status makes it virtually impossible for her to come up with one lump sum payment.
If the owner of the Santa Fe rejects this proposal, your alternative is to either pay the repair bill yourself or refer the claim to your insurance carrier.