Auto Insurance Claims: Hit by a bus, diminished value claim, sovereign immunity

Question
A few days ago, my new 2010 car was hit by a local transit authority bus.  It was parked in front of my mother's home and the bus pushed it up onto the sidewalk.  I contacted my insurance company and filed a police report.  I also got pictures of the accident.  My insurance adjuster says that the damage most likely will not total the car but my concern now is that the value of the car will be less (either when I go to trade it in or in the case of another accident where the car is totaled.)I just got a call from the transit authority today saying that they are covered by something called sovereign immunity and that I cannot sue but they are happy to make arrangements out of their pocket for a rental, etc.  Should I contact an attorney?  I researched online and supposedly auto accidents are excluded from sovereign immunity in the state of PA, which means the woman lied to me.  Any help is appreciated.

Answer
Hi Hazel,

I am not specifically familiar with PA sovereign immunity laws. In most cases, if the transit authority is liable to pay for the repairs to your car as well as the rental car, then they are also liable to pay you for the diminished value of your vehicle. So if they have offered to pay for those other things woithout involving your insurance company, you should also pursue a diminished value claim. If sovereign immunity applies, it would apply to the entire claim. It would not be applied selectively.

I hope this helps
Richard Hixenbaugh