Car repairs, after an accident, don't have to be stressful.
Following a car accident, you will probably find yourself at a body shop to repair your damaged vehicle. If insurance is going to cover all or a portion of the damages, you need to know what to expect and deal with the body shop so you don't end up paying too much out-of-pocket. Understanding the process can also make getting your car fixed a lot less stressful and can even speed things up just a bit.
Instructions
1. Call your insurance agent to report the accident. Regardless of who was at fault for the accident, you need to let your auto insurance company know about the incident as soon as possible. The phone number should be listed on your insurance card. The agent will take preliminary information about the accident; someone from the claims department will contact you later for additional details.
2. Go to the body shop. If your car was so badly damaged in the accident that it had to be towed, it may already be there. Otherwise, you need to take it to at least one body shop for an estimate. Your insurance company may work with certain body shops in your area, but you can choose to use the body shop you feel most comfortable with. The body shop will evaluate the damage and give you an estimate for the repair. Either you or the body shop will drop off, mail or fax the written estimate to the auto insurance company.
3. Contact the insurance company to have the damage evaluated by an insurance adjuster. Let the insurance company know where your car is located and an insurance adjuster will be sent out to take a look at the damage to determine the cost. This amount is the basis for how much the insurance company will be willing to pay for the damage done to your car.
4. Pay for the repairs. Depending on the accident, the check for the repairs may go directly to you or to the body shop that did the work. If you receive the check, you will either need to sign it over to the body shop or cash it then pay the bill from the funds. You may also be responsible for a deductible, depending on your insurance coverage. You will need to pay this amount directly to the body shop.
Tags: body shop, insurance company, auto insurance, auto insurance company, body shop will, company know
