New diminished value case
Here’s a new diminished value case that just came in and it’s troubling because there may be no good solution. The owner is a woman who has a 2012 Acura. She took it to a car wash, and got out so the attendant could drive it into the car wash. After the attendant got the front tire into the track that pushes the car through the car wash, he got out and the car lurched forward into the car in front, damaging her front bumper. He probably forgot to put in neutral. No one called the police and the car wash paid to repair the bumper, which totaled under $700. Unfortunately, the repairs were not done well so she has to take it to another place to do it to her liking. The problem is that the damage is so small, it would be tough to prove a lot of lost value, but if the repair shop reports it to Carfax, then she’s going to pay a lot when it comes time to trade it in or sell it. The Carfax alone probably diminishes the value of the car, even if the repairs are done right. And the claim for diminished auto value would be against the car wash, or their business insurance carrier, who have no experience in this area. They probably wouldn’t offer anything. So, she’s got a real problem, but I don’t see any good solution.