On behalf of their customer, Three C Body Shops filed suit against an at-fault party due to their insurance company’s alleged repair underpayments.
The complaint, filed in the Municipal Court of Franklin County in Ohio, named Caleb Brickey as a defendent and alleged that Brickey's insurer — Allstate Insurance Company — failed and refused to provide Three C Body Shop’s customer full payment for numerous reasonable and necessary charges for processes and materials.
The suit stemmed from an automotive accident in which the at-fault party, Brickey, was negligent and admitted liability for damages to a 2005 Jeep Liberty, owned by Three C Body Shop’s customer.
Three C submitted their estimate to Allstate and after four supplemental attempts to attain the full and proper compensation were unsuccessful, Three C Body Shops proceeded with the recommended and proper repair, at the direction of their customer.
The final cost of the authorized repair was $5,687.83; Allstate released $3,585.43 towards the repair, leaving a difference and deficit of $2,102.40. Three C Body Shop is seeking recovery on their own behalf.
The lawsuit seeks full payment to Three C Body Shops of the difference, plus costs, expenses, attorney fees, prejudgment and post judgment interest.
"This process exposes the insurer’s poor behavior to their policyholder and places the at-fault party in a position of vulnerability and exposes them to liabilities. Liabilities they expected their own insurer to shield them from," said Bob Juniper, second generation president and owner of Three C Body Shops. "Their failure to shield their policyholder may place the insurer in a position of potential breach of contract and other potential legal liabilities. Our hope is this exposure will cause for a positive change in insurer behaviors; regardless if a first or third party claim.”
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