You are talking like a real victim.

Not sure what “got nowhere” means, but any rental agency that tries that crap with me is going to have a bad day. ”So sue me” is not a phrase I’ve yet used — been saving it for something like this. I would explain that they’d lose in court when I present their signed form with pictures (you did take those, right?) and that I’d counter-sue (and win, and collect) for all my costs in fighting their baseless claim. I’d also ask the judge to award punitive damages for their bad faith, which could come to many times the original amount.

”Just use your insurance” is another naive, victim-y refrain often heard from the inexperienced. In my state, any damage over $750 must be reported to the DMV and is automatically charged to you as an at-fault accident unless you can prove otherwise. Your carrier will then hike your rates to the moon or drop you.