This happened to me at a local garage. The mechanic took the car for a test drive, got side-swiped, and my insurance treated it like I was driving. The repairs were fine, but I didn’t pay for the work they did before the accident.
No pictures?
That’s not how it works. The body shop and insurance will decide if the damage is enough to total the car. If it’s not, they’ll fix it. You can sue the shop, but it’ll be costly.
You need a lawyer. Plain and simple.
Don’t forget, this accident will affect the resale value of your car. It might get a salvage title. You could sue them for that.
Don’t let them repair it in-house. They know they messed up, and they’ll rush through the repair just to get it done.
Keep in mind that accidents significantly reduce a car’s resale value. Unfortunately, you may just have to accept the loss.