Safelite screwed up....bad

In reply to SV reX :

i was trying so hard not to just be like "OH SNAPPPP" during that call

So what was the response from safelite?

He just ok, please keep me posted with any updates

camopaint0707 said:

So update.  Both bodys shops came back over $5000 for repairs.  Both even said, heating the structural metal could have severe consequences.  Ie from welding it.  I told safelite this and they said that the shops were incorrect.  I then had my lawyer reach out to them while I was listening in which he point blank said, "if safelite refuses they we will file a lawsuit for negligence, fraud, and seek punitive damages as well.  Every safelite repair will be under question especially ones where you outsource body repairs.  Should your employees be deposed you'll be forced to hire lawyers for all of them, I'll file an injunction on all the repairs shops under your umbrella citing your negligent business practices and blatant disregard for customer safety.  It will costs safelite thousands of dollars and likely several peoples jobs.  Or you can use your insurance to cover these damages you willingly admitted your employees caused, cover the rental car, and we can move past this"

Nice work.

Q1: How much did you pay this lawyer?

Q2: What damages is he seeking for you?

What were the other two shops doing differently to justify the $5k price? 

In reply to tuna55 :

Nothing yet.  His consult was free.  

In reply to camopaint0707 :

I'm a little confused as to what you're asking their insurance to cover damages wise at this point? The heating has already been done. Do you mean taking it to one of the other shops, but then having them do what with the welded section?

In reply to Driven5 :

This is the correct repair:

Strip down, pull that panel and replace. To get to that panel, dash and structure comes out, all hvac, engine, fenders, hood etc. 

So if I'm understanding that right, it also shouldn't really effect the other shops' quotes either, since the panel(s) that were cut (and now welded) would be getting entirely replaced anyway. That makes sense.

In reply to camopaint0707 :

bobzilla said:

In reply to Driven5 :

This is the correct repair:

Strip down, pull that panel and replace. To get to that panel, dash and structure comes out, all hvac, engine, fenders, hood etc. 

Bingo, which is why Safelite tried to go the cheap route. The whole panel needs to be replaced, not just patched.

In reply to bobzilla :

Yep, basically.

Steve_Jones said:

camopaint0707 said:

In reply to tuna55 :

Nothing yet.  His consult was free.  

So he blew a lot of hot air at them. See if hes willing to file suit with $0 out of your pocket to start, bet it suddenly becomes a "not so easy to win" case

 

In reply to ddavidv :

Meh, I'm not worried about it.  It's not going to be a "case".  No large company in their right mind will let something this small go to a trial.  They'll simply just pay, knowing they are at fault.

bobzilla said:

In reply to Driven5 :

This is the correct repair:

Strip down, pull that panel and replace. To get to that panel, dash and structure comes out, all hvac, engine, fenders, hood etc. 

This was my concern. 

The odds of that panel system being removed without damage to adjoining panels and then being installed to the same structural  standard as it was at the factory, and THEN having the rest of dash/instrumentation installed to factory standards is less than zero. There is no way you are going to end up with a better/safer result than you have now if they actually do go ahead and do the $5000 repair. I would rather roll with what they did so far rather than have my car ripped apart for a repair that nobody has ever done.

What  I think you are really shooting for is a new car. 

ddavidv said:

Steve_Jones said:

camopaint0707 said:

In reply to tuna55 :

Nothing yet.  His consult was free.  

So he blew a lot of hot air at them. See if hes willing to file suit with $0 out of your pocket to start, bet it suddenly becomes a "not so easy to win" case

 

Do you think the lawyer actually accomplished anything other than telling OP what he wanted to hear for his free consult? That's what I see.  I guarantee if he wants to go further with it, the Laywer will want money up front with no guarantees. 

camopaint0707 said:

In reply to ddavidv :

Meh, I'm not worried about it.  It's not going to be a "case".  No large company in their right mind will let something this small go to a trial.  They'll simply just pay, knowing they are at fault.

The issue is they will just say it was repaired in a way that is an industry standard. It's up to you to prove it's not.  They will not just write you a check because other shops says it's wrong. It's a E36 M3 situation, but at some point you're just banging your head against the wall for no results.

Steve_Jones said:

camopaint0707 said:

In reply to ddavidv :

Meh, I'm not worried about it.  It's not going to be a "case".  No large company in their right mind will let something this small go to a trial.  They'll simply just pay, knowing they are at fault.

The issue is they will just say it was repaired in a way that is an industry standard. It's up to you to prove it's not.  They will not just write you a check because other shops says it's wrong. It's a E36 M3 situation, but at some point you're just banging your head against the wall for no results.

Can we just award you your requisite fifteen contrarian points so we can see how this plays out? The OP seems to already have a better resolution on the way than you think. 

OP:

I'm genuinely curious how the lawyer intends to get paid. I guess you're going to at least have to pay for the phone call and time he spent with you. Are you seeking cash from Safelite, a new car, or a proper repair? I still don't think we have a clear picture there.

If it was my car I would run it as-is and either sell it or trade it off if it bothered me.  Unfortunately unless you lawyer up and spend the bucks you are SOL.  

There is no way cutting the car apart further will make the fix better.   I would definitely not trust a $15/hr shop monkey to put the engine and interior back as good as it was from the factory.  

Oof, I would not want that major repair done to my car. That's definitely one of those "never going to be the same again" things.

I've been the shop monkey putting the engine and interior back in. We always put at least 90% of the bolts and 75% of the clips back in undamaged. When a clip breaks or a wire connector doesn't snap in correctly, do you think the car is going to get parked back in the yard while the manager orders more parts and then waits for them to come in, or do you think they're going to slam it back together and put it on the line for delivery?

In reply to tuna55 :

Proper car repair, paid for by safelite, since they cause the damage, and authorized incorrect repair methods.

93gsxturbo said:

If it was my car I would run it as-is and either sell it or trade it off if it bothered me.  Unfortunately unless you lawyer up and spend the bucks you are SOL.  

There is no way cutting the car apart further will make the fix better.   I would definitely not trust a $15/hr shop monkey to put the engine and interior back as good as it was from the factory.  

Body shop guys get paid quite a bit more than $15/hour and that is exactly what they're paid to do. I get it. All shops are evil and all techs are monkeys. Got it. Don't let reality get in the way. 

Steve_Jones said:

camopaint0707 said:

In reply to ddavidv :

Meh, I'm not worried about it.  It's not going to be a "case".  No large company in their right mind will let something this small go to a trial.  They'll simply just pay, knowing they are at fault.

The issue is they will just say it was repaired in a way that is an industry standard. It's up to you to prove it's not.  They will not just write you a check because other shops says it's wrong. It's a E36 M3 situation, but at some point you're just banging your head against the wall for no results.

Actually, no.  There are manufacturer approved repair procedures and none of them are to weld on a major structural part to "fill in" the material you gouged out. Toyota repair procedures are what should be quoted and used. Not some "industry standard".