Urgent Advice Needed - Trouble with Workshop for Accident Claims

[yellowstrength]

Good evening all,

 

I got into an accident this year where a car hit me when he was exiting a carpark.

 

I’ve received a letter from TP stating that the driver has committed an offence of Careless driving causing hurt and action has been taken by the TP against the driver.

 

I’ve engaged a law firm to initiate the claims. My understanding is that on usual basis if you choose to go with your law firm’s workshop, you’ll not need to pay anything upfront for the repair of the bike as the law firm will settle everything for you.

 

As for myself, I’ve chosen to go to my trusted regular workshop to conduct the repairs and the law firm previously told me that in this case I’ll have to pay the upfront repair costs and I was fine with it, as I trust my workshop. I was estimating the bill to be in the range of $2 to $3K maximum. For whole bike respray, alignment and some accessories (brake levers, handle bar grips etc).

 

Initially when I send the bike in for repairs, I have asked several times regarding the estimated repair costs that I will have to pay but did not get an answer. 4 months down the road, the repair is done and the bill came up to around $7K.

 

I am totally shocked as I did not expect the bill to be this high. My repairs were mainly respray, alignment and some of the accessories (brake levers, handle bar grips). Nothing was done to the engine as it wasn’t affected. The workshop did not inform me about the the estimated costs before commencing on the work, although I’ve chased them a few times. If they had told me the costs of $7.1K before starting the work, I will have never given permission for them to go ahead as I am not able to fork out upfront. And honestly, for the few work that is done, $7.1K is extraordinary high. The workshop claims that this is the amount that is given by the independent surveyor, whom was contacted by the workshop.

 

Right now, the workshop wants me to pay for the $7.1K before they can release the bike, the repair invoice and the independent surveyor’s report to me. My law firm requires the repair invoice and the independent surveyor’s report before they can raise the claims against the third party insurer.

 

On a check with my law firm, they said that it is highly unlikely that I will be able to claim this $7.1K back in full, as the costs are way too high and that the third party surveyor may give a much lower repair cost. So if that happens, the liability of 80% may work out to be around $3K to $3.5K. Law firm also recommended me to pay the full sum as previously I chose this workshop and there’s nothing much that they can do.

 

Will you guys be able to advise on what I should do? I am not able to come out with a bill of $7.1K. I need the invoice and surveyor’s report for my law firm to initiate the claims as I have injury and medical claims as well. However, without paying the repair costs of $7.1K, the whole case may come to a stop and I’ll not get my compensation for medical and loss of income due to the accident.

 

Please kindly give me some advices! Extremely helpless on this case. Thank you very much!

Edited August 31, 2020 by yellowstrength