Can someone lie about the extent of damage to their car to get more $ from the person at fault?

It was raining and this woman in front of me stopped really hard and I tried to brake in time but skidded and bumped the back of her bumper. There was hardly a noticeable mark on her car and now my insurance is giving me an estimate for the damage to her car that is $440. This sounds ridiculously high to me for something so trivial. I understand maybe there's some underlying issue I don't know about, but if it really was only a mark on her bumper, can people actually lie and get other things fixed on their car and try to get the person at fault to pay for it? I should have taken pictures but didn't have a camera with me. Can I dispute this in any way?

oklatom

It's not unusual for there to be hidden damage which requires the entire bumper to be replaced, and the price of $440 is not the least out of line. Pictures of a small crack don't show internal damage, so pictures wouldn't help you any. Before your insurance accepted liability for this accident, they investigated and examined the vehicle and saw documentation from the body shop. If there was any question about the cost they would have raised it with the other company.

If you have any questions about this, your best source of information is your own agent, who could answer any questions you have.

magiccharm

Most of the damage in accidents is underneath and not visible. Your lucky a small bump can be thousands.

sensible_man

Your insurance company has looked at her car and knows what the actual cost of repair is. A small scratch can cost a couple hundred dollars to repaint. I cannot see a way to dispute the amount your company is offering to pay.

Kevin M

this is normal for ins.co. to write the estimate for new bumper etc. 440 not a bad price.thats about what it costs to replace and paint. i would not dispute it !! you hit her remember !!

PMack

That's par for the course - a good shop will be removing the bumper, repairing it, respraying it (with the additives required to make the paint flexible like the bumper), and reinstalling it.

tony b

I was hit in the rear, a rover 213 which is like a honda accord. .. It didnt appear to do much damage until you looked in the trunk near the spare... At the back the crumple zone doesnt take much to buckle. And it doesnt take much to break the mounts for the rear bumper... Mine actually cost the other person $2500.... ( converted from pounds) so think yourself lucky......

mkeim2002

u can ask for a second opinion or ask that it be taken to a shop you trust

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