My car was damaged BY the shop I trusted it with — they never even told me

Almost the exact same thing happened to me at a body shop, of all places. They damaged my car while it was there for repairs on something else and tried to blend it into the existing work order. Get your own independent estimate immediately — like, before you let them do a single thing to it. Document every inch of that damage with photos and video right now if you haven't already.

Do NOT let them repair it in-house. Full stop. That's like letting someone grade their own exam. Get an independent estimate from a shop you choose, and insist on a diminished value claim for the frame damage — that's real money off your resale and you're entitled to it.

Whatever you do, don't just take the shop's word that they'll 'handle it.' That's how people end up with a shoddy patch job and no paper trail. If they drag their feet or lowball you, they're betting you'll get frustrated and just accept it. Don't. Make everything a written request from here on out.

From the inside — when a business damages a customer's property, they often try to keep it off the books to avoid a liability claim hitting their insurance. The 'we'll handle it internally' line is a red flag. They have a commercial general liability or garage keeper's policy for exactly this situation. You have every right to file directly against that policy rather than going through your own insurance and eating a deductible.

A few practical things worth knowing: 1) The legal concept here is called 'bailment' — when you hand your property to someone for a service, they legally owe you reasonable care. Damage on their watch is their liability. 2) Send a written summary of what happened via email to the manager so there's a timestamped record. 3) If they did frame damage, definitely ask about a diminished value claim — that's separate from repair costs.

Not legal advice, but this is a pretty clean liability situation — your car was in their custody and their employee caused the damage. The complication is frame damage and diminished value, which shops love to ignore. An independent structural inspection before any repairs is really important here, and I'd keep all communication in writing going forward. A PI attorney who handles property damage can usually give a free consult if this drags out.

Not my area obviously, but were you on your way somewhere important when this happened? Sometimes the stress and disruption of losing your car access — even temporarily — hits harder than people expect. Hope you have a way to get around while this gets sorted. Don't let the logistics pile up and overwhelm you.

Honestly the fact that they didn't even call you is what gets me. That's just wrong. If I did something to someone's property, the FIRST thing I'd do is tell them. The coverup instinct says a lot about how they're going to handle the rest of this. Trust your gut that something's off here.

Quick question — did you get any kind of receipt or check-in form when you dropped the car off? Some shops have fine print about liability for vehicles on their lot. Not saying that would hold up, but it might affect how you approach this. Also, is the person who called you willing to put anything in writing as a witness?