I was in a car accident on March 1st (tl;dr: while stopped in construction traffic on I-35, I was rear ended by a distracted driver travelling at highway speed). Ever since, I've been in a protracted battle with Allstate, my auto insurer, and Service King, their recommended body shop. It's been more than a month and Service King has tried to deliver my vehicle to me as "finished" twice, but the following issues are still outstanding:
- Front passenger door, when closed, does not seal because either the door or the body of the car is still bent out of shape. This is a new issue that has emerged since the vehicle was delivered to Service King on March 5th.
- Surface of back quarter panel of car is covered with fine scratches. It appears that there was a rock or other abrasive material on the buffer when they buffed out this panel. This is a new issue that has emerged since the vehicle was delivered to Service King on March 5th.
- There are still deep scratches on the edge of one of the panels from the accident that have not been resolved.
- There are two new rattling sounds when the vehicle is driven at highway speed. This is a new issue that has emerged since the vehicle was delivered to Service King on March 5th.
- The "new" rear bumper that Service King has attached to my car is scuffed and scratched and clearly not new.
- There is an unknown material or adhesive that is a pale yellow in color that can be seen in the crack between panels that Service King has attached to the vehicle. This is a new issue that has emerged since the vehicle was delivered to Service King on March 5th.
The first time Service King tried to deliver my vehicle as finished, the muffler was still dangling from the vehicle, there were numerous scratched and imperfections remaining in the paint job, the "new" bumper was crooked, various "new" body panels were misaligned, and there was a new, big grease stain on the cream colored interior of the car.
All of this is only the surface-level damage that I can observe as a layperson that knows very little about automotive repairs. I hate to think what an independent third party expert might find upon inspection of the vehicle.
You might be wondering why I took my vehicle, which I had purchase new from the dealer less than six months prior to the accident, to Service King in the first place. Good question!
Here's the answer:
Service King is a member of the Allstate All Hands Network. When I called in my claim, I was put in touch with the nearest Service King. Because I had never had an accident requiring body work before, I didn't know that, under Texas law, I had the right to select my own collision center (for example, a collision center certified to repair my specific brand of vehicle). Allstate did send me a notice explaining that I was entitled to select a collision center, but that notice arrived by mail after my vehicle was in Allstate's possession and repairs were underway. Upon receipt of that notice, I reached out to a collision center certified to repair my specific brand of vehicle, but they refused to work on my vehicle now that Service King has touched it due to liability concerns.
What a nightmare.
Normally, I'm the sort of person that does a lot of independent research before taking action, but I was shell shocked from this accident, and from another accident three weeks earlier when I was hit by a SUV while walking across the street. Overwhelmed, I just wanted to get my car repaired as soon as possible. This was a mistake. When in doubt, slow down and do your research!
I'm posting this because, if you're in an auto accident here in Texas, I hope that:
- You'll remember someone saying that you have the right to choose your own collision center.
- You'll think twice before taking your vehicle to Service King for repair. No doubt that certain Service King locations perform better work than others.
- You'll explore a diminished value claim. It is possible to make such a claim against the insurer of the at-fault driver.
