repair estimate after the car has been fixed

[darena01]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

A month ago a truck ran into our car and tried to run. We followed him and took pictures of his license. After which we called police and filed for a hit and run. The driver was caught and he admitted his fault. However, we didn't expect the driver to have any sort of insurance ( and I have only liability insurance myself) and thus we decided to fix the car at our own expense. The main problem was the bumper and the left light, which was completely dis-attached from the car. My boyfriend took the car to Tijuana ( we live in San Diego) and got it fixed there for $450.

Two days ago we got a police report, which showed that the driver had insurance. The report was also asking for an estimate of damages. We have photos, but the car has already been fixed. oops

My boyfriend keeps telling me that it is ok to submit an estimate, which we will get online from a repair shop ( just by sending them pictures). The shop will probably quote for around $2000 and we will be able to keep the money.

I am telling him that it sounds like fraud.
So, my question is: what do we do? What the insurance company will do in this case? Will they send a person to look at my car? Or an online estimate should be enough? How legal is it to get an estimate for a car that has already been fixed? I know that people get estimates and then get their car repaired, but not the opposite.

Thank you in advance,

D.

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

A month ago a truck ran into our car and tried to run. We followed him and took pictures of his license. After which we called police and filed for a hit and run. The driver was caught and he admitted his fault. However, we didn't expect the driver to have any sort of insurance ( and I have only liability insurance myself) and thus we decided to fix the car at our own expense. The main problem was the bumper and the left light, which was completely dis-attached from the car. My boyfriend took the car to Tijuana ( we live in San Diego) and got it fixed there for $450.

Two days ago we got a police report, which showed that the driver had insurance. The report was also asking for an estimate of damages. We have photos, but the car has already been fixed. oops

My boyfriend keeps telling me that it is ok to submit an estimate, which we will get online from a repair shop ( just by sending them pictures). The shop will probably quote for around $2000 and we will be able to keep the money.

I am telling him that it sounds like fraud.
So, my question is: what do we do? What the insurance company will do in this case? Will they send a person to look at my car? Or an online estimate should be enough? How legal is it to get an estimate for a car that has already been fixed? I know that people get estimates and then get their car repaired, but not the opposite.

Thank you in advance,

D.

You do exactly what your boyfriend said, you try to get estimates online based on pictures, and then you be honest with the guys insurance company. You tell them that you needed the car and had no idea whether or not he had insurance. Therefore you already got it fixed in Tijuana. In a worst case scenario you will just get back the 450.00 that you actually spent to get it fixed.

 

[darena01]

ok. Thank you=)

 

[darena01]

well, I called the insurance company. They told me that they weren't paying, since an adjuster has never seen the car =(

 

[ecmst12]

So you get your receipt for the repair and sue him in small claims court. Also the pictures of the damage. An online estimate from a shop that's never seen the car is not going to help you, but the actual proof of the money you actually paid (preferably with itemized bill) should be more than sufficient for a judge.