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Who's responsible for a mechanic’s bill if my car was repaired before my insurance claim was denied?
I wasn't given an estimate nor was I given the choice to have the mechanic fix my car. Come to find out, my car was fixed before my insurance denied the claim and the bill was $600. They have had my car for eight months and are now saying I am responsible for something I knew nothing about. Why?
Chloe Jenkins · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
I’m so sorry to hear that you’re in this situation. Typically, repair shops will wait for the claim to be approved or denied before starting any repairs. The fact that they completed these repairs is unusual and should not result in you having to shell out the cash as these circumstances were not in your control.
There are three things you can try doing to improve this situation:
- File a complaint with the state department of insurance.
- File a small claims court suit.
Disputing your claim denial may be the simplest and fastest route to take. If you are approved and have the proper coverage, you could see your
car insurance
company pick up most, if not all, of the bill.Filing a complaint with the state department of insurance is the best route if you cannot get your claim approved. This will allow you to explain your situation and have a representative of the state review and take action on your case, which may result in your claim being approved.
Filing a small claims court suit with the repair shop could get you out of paying for the repairs, but could cost you more in the long run as you will be responsible for court fees.
Each of these options will take some time to follow through with. Unfortunately, you will have to decide whether it is worth your time to fight against this issue or simply pay the bill and get your vehicle back.
You may even find that at the end of this ordeal you are interested in changing your car insurance whether it’s due to poor service, improper coverage, or high premiums. Whatever your reason may be, the
Jerry
app can help.Once you download Jerry, just answer a handful of questions that will take you roughly 45 seconds to complete and you’ll immediately get car insurance quotes for coverage similar to your current plan. Jerry customers save an average of $879 a year.
View full answer
- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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