Action 9

Crash victim says watch out for "middlemen" offering to help after a wreck

By Jason Stoogenke, wsoctv.com
By Jason Stoogenke, wsoctv.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — China Drayton was at a stop sign, “and this big [Ford] F-150 from this angle turned, made a sharp turn, hit me right in the side, turned my car around, and they end up hitting a tree."

“The impact was so hard, I black out,” she said.

[ALSO READ: SWINDLED: Man boots cars, demands cash as part of scam, woman says]

A day or so after that accident, Drayton said, a woman, named Margaret Buchanan, called her out of the blue.

"She was like an 'accidental consultant' as she said. So, when people get in an accident, she the one [that] handles everything. So, she's pretty much the middleman," Drayton said.

Drayton took her up on her offer. "She set up where to take my car, the lawyer, the insurance people."

[ALSO READ: Scam artists call posing as local businesses to take money]

Drayton already had a body shop in mind to fix her car, but says Buchanan convinced her to go with another one.  "I'm believing everything she says because it sounds very convincing."

Drayton told Action 9 that Buchanan had the car towed to Williams Collision Center.

The Better Business Bureau gives Williams Collision an “F” rating. One consumer complaint to the BBB said, "This company solicits you when you are in an accident. They called and stated they were a group of people that helped people in auto accidents."

Drayton didn't know any of that.  She also didn't know where Williams Collision was located. She said she found out when she went to pick up her car. "It wasn't a good neighborhood," she said. "It was like dogs everywhere."  She said the body shop was actually a house in a west Charlotte neighborhood.

[ALSO READ: BBB: Utility scammers target younger customers]

"Something in my spirit just kept saying, 'Get another opinion, get another opinion,'" she said. So, she did. She went to Pack Brothers and Collision Safety Consultants.

One of the owners, Billy Walkowiak, was concerned about what he saw and showed Action 9. "You've got separation. You've got poor weld penetration. You've got nothing holding the wheelhouse to the quarter panel that they fixed poorly," he explained. "You just got a disaster waiting to happen."  "If this thing gets hit again, it's going to implode on itself," he said.

Hearing that, Drayton said she's "scared for my life."  In the meantime, she is still planning on getting her car fixed, but her insurance company already paid once. Chances are it isn't going to pay again.

[ALSO READ: BBB releases list of five worst rated NC businesses]

Action 9 called Margaret Buchanan. The number was no longer a working number. Action 9 also called Williams Collision, but the mailbox was full.  Action 9 emailed the body shop.  Again, there was no response. So Action 9 went to the address and saw a lot of vehicles in the backyard, behind a fence.

A man who was there said he used to work with the owner, but didn't know if he moved or went out of business. He tried to call the owner, but didn't have any luck.

Action 9 found another address for Williams Collison and went there. Apparently, it moved out months ago. A new body shop with a new owner is there now. That owner told Action 9 his business is "totally unrelated."

[ALSO READ: 9 Investigates: Insurance companies cutting corners on safety]

You don't need a middleman, especially one who contacts you out of the blue. Your insurance company is your middleman. That's who will tell you what steps to take. And, remember, don't let anyone tell you which body shop to use, not even your insurance company. It's your car, it's your choice.

Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:

Cox Media Group

Most Read