Guyz-N-Flyz wrote:

I expect that is exactly what the rental company wants him to do, since
the insurance company will likely pay it off, disputed or not, and
Mike's insurance will likely go up as a result.

Not necessarily. I've had three disputed claims (two auto and one
homeowner's) settled by my insurance companies, with no payment made and
no effect on my premiums. Insurance companies DO NOT LIKE to pay bogus
claims, and they have the resources, the knowledge, the experience, and
the motivation to fight them. Insurance companies may be greedy
*******s, but when it comes to bogus claims against your liability
coverage, they're YOUR greedy *******s.

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Cut "to the chase" for my email address.