Almost always when an accident takes place between vehicles the paint on anyone of the panels hit is chipped off, leaving an unsightly mess. Trying to repair chips and repainting the car with matching colors is never easy and can be expensive.
Fortunately, if you have been involved in an accident that has caused chipped paint, you should be able to get compensation from the driver who caused the damage to the vehicle which led to chipped paint. Because insurers are hard to convince when requested to provide the value of the repair to the chipped paint, it may be necessary to contact a personal injury attorney who will work to get the compensation you deserve.
How Much It Costs to Repair Chipped Paint
When chipped paint takes place in an auto accident it’s not an easy job repairing the chipped paint and making sure it matches the color of the rest of the car’s body. To do a good job it can take time and could run into hundreds of dollars depending on how much of the paint is chipped and how deep the chips are.
You should allow at least $2,000 to fix the paint chips so that the paintwork looks as good as new. If you request a lower amount you will never get a good repair done to the chipped paint. In an extreme case, if it is impossible matching the original color, it may be necessary to re-spray the entire body of the car. If you have a high value car that has had its surface chipped, then you would not be satisfied with less, as an uneven color could seriously lower the value of your car.
Proving Who Caused the Paint Chips
Before there is any chance of a compensation claim being paid by the insurer of the driver who allegedly caused the accident, sufficient evidence will be required by the insurer. The evidence required can take the form of eye witness reports, a police report indicating the cause of the accident and a suitable estimate provided by a chip repair business.
If you have your cell phone nearby you should take photographs of the chipped paint in relation to the vehicles involved in the incident. Once this has been received the insurer will study the evidence and decide whether it’s sufficient to warrant a compensation payment to cover the cost of repairing the paint chips.
Reasons to Work With a Lawyer
Often, insurers of the at-fault driver which caused the paint chips will either be unwilling or will delay paying the compensation. It requires the firm hand of a personal injury attorney to present the evidence and argument on behalf of the driver whose vehicle has paint chip damage.
In the end, the insurer should pay the amount requested to repair the damage without any further argument. An attorney can help with this. Complete the Free Case Evaluation to speak with a lawyer who can help.
