If you are involved in a collision with your vehicle, getting it fixed properly and restoring it to its previous condition is essential. In some situations, the damage may be minor, and a small auto collision repair shop can fix it for you. However, major accidents that cause more damage may require a larger collision shop with a frame machine or other specialty equipment to fix the vehicle correctly.
Getting Estimates
After an accident or collision with your vehicle, the first step should be to have several auto collision repair shops work up an estimate of the repairs necessary and the cost to do the work. The estimates are vital because they are what the insurance company will use to determine if the car is worth fixing and may trigger the insurer to send out an adjuster to look at the car and decide if they are going to pay you out and total the vehicle.
If repairs are possible, the estimates can be vital to determining what needs repair, and if one collision shop leaves work off their estimate while others put it on, that can be a red flag that you don't want to use that shop for your repairs. The insurance company may request you get several estimates, but if you can't drive the car, ask them if they will pay for the wrecker to take the car from one shop to the next for each estimate.
Insurance And Billing
When you have an accident with your vehicle, you need to let the insurance company know right away. The insurance adjuster will want to see the car after the crash, and if you have it hauled to a body shop or your driveway, they will often ask you not to move it or start repairs until they inspect the damage.
The vehicle's value and the amount of damage to it play a critical role in the repair process. In some cases, the insurance company will work directly with the auto collision repair service to cover the work on the vehicle, but you will still need to cover any deductible on the policy yourself. Talk to the repair shop about the repair coverage after the insurance company has set the amount they will allocate for the work because some collision shops are willing to work with you on the deductible because they are getting the bulk of the payment from the insurer in one check.
If you have a large deductible, you may be able to break up the payment into several smaller amounts, and since the repairs take some time after an accident, you may have a few weeks to wait for the car once the repairs begin. For more information on auto collision repair, contact a professional near you.
