If my car got scratched after the service at adealership, what are my rights?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
If my car got scratched after the service at adealership, what are my rights?
I left my car for a state and emission inspection. Once I received it and drove back home, parked and get out of the car I noticed a big scratch on the hood going towards the drivers side wheel. I took pictures immediately. I didn’t go anywhere else besides the dealership. My car was dirty and once the scratch appeared after the service, somebody was trying to wipe it out and remove the dirt from the scratched place. That day, Iasked the manger to view the cameras and see how it was serviced. I was actively refused to do that. And was offered to buff it out. It didn’t helped. Can I sue?
Asked on January 3, 2012 under Business Law, Pennsylvania
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
If you believe the dealership either negligently (carelessly) or, possibly, intentionally or deliberately, caused the damage to your car while it was in their control, you could sue them for the cost to repair the scratch. If the scractch could be repaired without an all-over repainting, that's the value you could sue for; it repainting is required, you could sue for that amount. You'd have to be able to prove in court that they were responsible for the damage; the standard is by a "preponderance of the evidence," or that it was more likely than not the dealership caused the scratch.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.