Hello, please bear with me, as it's long....

On the 4th of July I was driving home, some idiot on the side of the road threw a huge firework under my car and it blew up essentially under my feet as I drove over it (I didn't know what was happening til it was too late -- it all happened so fast)

Immediately after the explosion, my car sounds like crap and smelled funny -- initially, I thought something was stuck under it, like debris.

I didn't drive it for 2 days. When I did on Saturday, I was SHOCKED -- it sounded like a Harley Davidson, it was so loud. I drove it to the grocery store, and soon noticed that the smell was the cabin filling with exhaust.

Long story short, I took it in to the shop, and a bolt is missing from the exhuast manifold and the gasket needs to be replaced. The dealership (it's the only place that I can trust around here to do the job and in a timely manner) is quoting me $1200. Because the problem started with that firework exploding under my car, I call my insurance and explain the situation.

The adjustor comes out and says -- it is completely unrelated to the firework, not covered.

Please, can someone here explain to me? The noise and exhaust problem started exactly after that explosion! Could the firework have caused this? Triggered something that was already 'on it's way out'? Or is it really just pure coincidence (I find that so hard to believe)....

Thanks