Jay Miller says a truck hit his car in August 2025.
He told Action 9 attorney Jason Stoogenke his insurance and his body shop disagreed on how much it should cost to fix. He says his insurer said $8,000. The shop: Anywhere from $17,000 to $27,000.
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“I think they’ve demonstrated bad faith,” Miller said.
So, he appealed and says the process dragged on. Three months later, he says the car was still sitting at the shop and that his rental car had long since run out.
“And then I realized this was going to take a very long time and rather than spend the money on the rental, I actually bought a used car,” he said.
That’s right. He says he bought a car instead.
Action 9 emailed his insurer, Allstate. The company responded and -- a week later – sent an email that they resolved it, but wouldn’t give details, citing privacy reasons.
“We worked with our customer and resolved the claim according to their policy,” a representative said.
“There are a lot of consumers out there that would be stuck and effectively what it does, it de facto forces them to accept the estimate that Allstate gives them,” Miller said.
If you need a body shop:
- First and foremost: Remember, you pick the shop. Stoogenke always says: “Your car. Your choice.”
- Second: If your insurance and the shop can’t agree on an estimate, in North Carolina, you and the insurer hire your own appraisers and take it from there. Just remember: It can get expensive. In South Carolina, you can ask for another appraisal or file arbitration. There’s a very specific process for that.