Body Shop Did A Horrible Job Repairing My Vehicle And The Insurance Company(s) Are Doing Nothing To Help.

About 9 months ago, I was in an accident that resulted in almost $10,000 worth of damage being done to my vehicle. This was the first auto accident I’ve ever been in and I was injured so this was and still is a very overwhelming situation.

To make a long story short, the accident wasn’t my fault so I chose to use the other drivers insurance provider to repair my vehicle rather than my own provider so I didn’t have to pay my $500 deductible. My vehicle was repaired at a shop that a family member recommended. I wasn’t happy with the repair from the second I picked my vehicle up. I took the vehicle back to the shop 3 times and expressed my dissatisfaction with the repairs but the shop management showed a complete lack of accountability so I pretty much gave up on trying to get them to correct their mistakes.

Fast forward to now, my vehicle was damaged again in the carwash. Obviously I didn’t go back to the same shop I used the first time. The damage happened to be in the same area that was previously repaired and upon disassembly, the current body shop noticed a list of issues a mile long; The first body shop drilled wood screws through my headlights and into my bumper, they had my bumper held in place with glue, there’s still damage in multiple areas (including major structural damage), the new welds are already rusting, and last but certainly not least there is work the previous body shop charged the insurance company for that they didn’t even do.

I have contacted both my insurance company as well as the other drivers insurance company and they both are doing exactly nothing to help me. They’re telling me to take it up with the shop that did the poor repairs, specifically take it back to them and have them do the repairs over again. I don’t trust them as far as I could throw them so I’d rather them not touch my vehicle again. I haven’t talked to the body shop yet but I don’t expect to take any type of accountability based on my experience with them a few months ago.

Does anyone have type of advice for me? I’ve been searching for attorneys but haven’t had much luck. I really wish I had handled things a lot differently through out this situation, I feel like I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place. TIA!