Auto Insurance Claims: State Farm denial to repair, average life expectancy, car paint

Question
My passenger car window was smashed, purse stolen-Window okayed for replacement but paint nicks caused by glass pieces (shows a spray like pattern) was denied as being "door dings".  What is my recourse?

Answer
Hi Alice,
A lot depends on the age of your car.  Paint is a depreciable item.  The average life expectancy of paint is seven years.  If your car is that old or older, then that may be the reason for the denial.
If your car is newer, you need to appeal the claim decision to a supervisor that is higher up in the company than the person that denied the claim.
Your window is safety glass, and when broken, it shatters into small fragments about the size of a dime.  Those pieces falling down the side of your door could have caused scratches and chipping of the paint, but they would not make any indentations into the sheetmetal of the body.
'Door dings' would not only chipped the paint but also made minute indentations into the sheetmetal of the door.
By appealing your claim to a supervisor and pointing out these facts, you should be able to get the paint covered.
I hope this has been of help.
Your feedback by rating my answer will be appreciated.
Sincerely,
Bennie
San Francisco Bay Area 12-07-07 7:50 PM PST