It depends on who caused the damage, and what the agreement with insurance is.
If there is insurance coverage on the at fault vehicle, there should be no reason to file small claims. If the at-fault party does not have insurance, then small claims is an option.
Take them to small claims court or settle it through your insurance company.
The other driver should be paying if they were at fault; you may sue them for your deductible in small claims court if they had no insurance.
Most diminished value claims are settled out of court, in fact insurance companies have shown that they do not want to take these to court as it could set additional precedence.
First you need to be certain of who is legally liable for the damage. Insurance companies seldom refuse to pay damages unless the claim is unsubstantiated. If you have undisputable proof the other driver was at fault, then you can sue that person. -Additional - In most jurisdictions you have to sue the driver/owner and not the insurance company directly. The small claims court clerk can tell you for sure. The insurance company will defend the other driver/owner and pay the claim if you win in court.
Court of Federal Claims
court of federal claims
no - your insurer is under no "obligation" to help you. Best bet is to pursue through small claims court. if damage is greater than small claims value - consult an attorney and negotiate a reasonable fee (usually a % of settlement amount and you owe nothing if you lose)
In that case, the money will be kept deposited with the insurance company as unclaimed amount. In absence of the beneficiary, the insurance company can pay the money to the legal heir of the policy holder, but that has to be sufficiently proved in the Court of Law.
The US Court of Federal Claims. It is located in Wasshington DC.
Court of federal claims A+
The Court of Federal Claims.