Long story short.

Bob,

Is your insurance agent aware of the damage?

Many years ago when I was a teenager, I got a good lesson from dad's insurance agent.  There was some damage done on his car that I was using and I was trying to figure out what to do.

That agent came down on me hard.  He said that he did not try to do my job, so why was I trying to do his.  He said letting him do his job was what I paid him for.

I have never forgotten that lesson.

RonJ

Ron's correct. Contact your insurance agent.  Basically what happenes here is your company pays for the repairs and bills his insurance company. Thieves generally don't screw each other. Cheezy insurance companies (meaning most) often try to steer customers to their DRP (Direct Repair Shop). This is a shop that has sold their soul to the insurance company for steered business, and give away the farm for the work. You end up with a crappy repair as that is all they can afford to do for the meger pay they have agreed to. They are most likley attempting to pay you what they would pay their DRP shop. Not only is steering illegal in every state I'm aware of ( but the law is ignored by insuance companies as a matter of business), but they are at fault and have no business deciding how much the repair on your truck is worth. Their only job here is to pay the repair bill, period.

Get it in writing – if it ain't in writing, it ain't real!

Bob, I know this type of stuff stinks just because the extra time it takes to deal with it.  Unless the laws have changed in WA in the last couple of years…here's what I know or knew as the case may be. A few years ago A guy blew through a red light and hit an almost new Dodge Dakota I had in the side.  His insurance company said get three estimates and we will pay the smaller of the three.  I told them that I was getting no estimates and that I was taking it to a certain shop and they could pay that bill. They told me that I had to get three estimates.  I said “That's not what the state insurance commissioner said”.  I just happen to know that at least in our state what the law was.  Never got any more argument out of them.  The shop I took it replaced not straightened the left bed side, door and tailgate.  The other guys insurance paid the whole thing. 

A buddy of mine got ass ended and his car totaled last year.  The insurance company gave him a real low ball check to pay for the car.  One call to the insurance commissioner and that check got doubled.  It's worth a call for sure.