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Can the insurance company require me to get more than one repair estimate?
Seattle, WA
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Posted 5 months ago in Insurance
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My car was recently hit while parked. The responsible party's insurance company has asked me to get two repair estimates. It was my understanding that in Washington state they can require only one estimate. Is that correct?
Answers (1)
Gregory Stephen Colburn
This attorney is licensed in Washington.
Posted 4 months ago.
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Generally speaking, when liability (fault) for a collision is clear the at-fault party's insurer cannot require you to collect more than one estimate. In fact, you may choose which repair shop to take your vehicle so long as the cost of the repairs is reasonable.
As stated in Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 284-30-3903 an insurer must make a good faith effort to honor your request for repairs to be made in a specific repair shop and cannot arbitrarily deny your request. A denial of your request solely because of the repair shop's hourly rate is arbitrary if the rate does not result in a higher overall cost of repairs. You should refer to WAC 284-30-3903 which is available online at: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=284-30-3903. |
