I need a lawyer to help in a case that involved my wifes 2010 Ford Escape- We bought the vehicle in late Dec 2010 and 6 days after owning it she was rearended by an F-250 then pushed into a Dodge Durango. The accident caused $12,000 worth of damage and the other parties insurance did not total it. We had the car fixed at Classic Auto body in Waldorf and delivered in early February They provided a lifetime warranty on all parts and labor. We have had the car back at the body shop a few times for problems to include-
- Runs, dirt , sand scratches and fish eyes in all painted repair areas (fixed)
- paint overspray in all door jams (not fixed)
- 1' long heavy run inside rear hatch at hinges (not fixed)
- small crease in "replaced" left front fender over wheel flare (not fixed)
- Lift gate open message (sorta fixed after several attempts)
- rear wiper cover clips broken (estimate said replace, they glued it shut)
- hood prop clip missing (fixed)
- Radiator support spot welds not sealed or painted- bare metal (fixed)
- rear hatch Escape emblem on wrong side and wrong place (fixed)
- Belt routing and emissions stickers missing under hood- estimate said replace (not installed)
- 5' of green tape left in roof rain drip rail (owner removed)
- 3' of green tape left in engine compartment on fender (owner removed)
This past weekend I changed the oil and closed the hood as normal and it closed. About 1/4 mile from the house the hood flew up and shattered the widshield and ruined the hood. After looking at the latch assembly I noticed that the safety hook was not engaging the hood catch. It was sloppy loose and about 5/8" away from the main latch. I called the body shop and the first thing they said was they are not responsible! We went to the Ford dealer to look at another Escape and the safety hook is tight up against the main latch. We took it to another body shop and they said the latch was not replaced as it was stated in the estimate. They also believe the inner fenders might be bent causing the hood latches not to align. I call the other parties insurance (Progressive) and they said there is nothing they can do since we accepted the car and it was not one of thier "approved" body shops. My insurance (USAA) says they should stand behind thier work.
I also had the car inspected by an adjuster for a dimminshed value claim since it suffered so much damage and the poor workmanship of the body shop. I sent the claim into Progressive and they pretty much sent a nasty letter back saying we accepted the car therefore it is back to pre-accident condition. The car obviously shows signs of damage.
So, now we're stuck with this new damaged car. I'm at a loss right now and don't know what else to do. We have been nothing but nice to all these people and didn't even claim injuries.
This accident was not our fault but we're getting screwed. I feel so much like going the total post accident injury claim and screwing them for big money. But the problem is we're to honest...
- Runs, dirt , sand scratches and fish eyes in all painted repair areas (fixed)
- paint overspray in all door jams (not fixed)
- 1' long heavy run inside rear hatch at hinges (not fixed)
- small crease in "replaced" left front fender over wheel flare (not fixed)
- Lift gate open message (sorta fixed after several attempts)
- rear wiper cover clips broken (estimate said replace, they glued it shut)
- hood prop clip missing (fixed)
- Radiator support spot welds not sealed or painted- bare metal (fixed)
- rear hatch Escape emblem on wrong side and wrong place (fixed)
- Belt routing and emissions stickers missing under hood- estimate said replace (not installed)
- 5' of green tape left in roof rain drip rail (owner removed)
- 3' of green tape left in engine compartment on fender (owner removed)
This past weekend I changed the oil and closed the hood as normal and it closed. About 1/4 mile from the house the hood flew up and shattered the widshield and ruined the hood. After looking at the latch assembly I noticed that the safety hook was not engaging the hood catch. It was sloppy loose and about 5/8" away from the main latch. I called the body shop and the first thing they said was they are not responsible! We went to the Ford dealer to look at another Escape and the safety hook is tight up against the main latch. We took it to another body shop and they said the latch was not replaced as it was stated in the estimate. They also believe the inner fenders might be bent causing the hood latches not to align. I call the other parties insurance (Progressive) and they said there is nothing they can do since we accepted the car and it was not one of thier "approved" body shops. My insurance (USAA) says they should stand behind thier work.
I also had the car inspected by an adjuster for a dimminshed value claim since it suffered so much damage and the poor workmanship of the body shop. I sent the claim into Progressive and they pretty much sent a nasty letter back saying we accepted the car therefore it is back to pre-accident condition. The car obviously shows signs of damage.
So, now we're stuck with this new damaged car. I'm at a loss right now and don't know what else to do. We have been nothing but nice to all these people and didn't even claim injuries.
This accident was not our fault but we're getting screwed. I feel so much like going the total post accident injury claim and screwing them for big money. But the problem is we're to honest...
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Ooops 