Fixing Up Your Family Car After an Accident
Even the best of drivers can get into a car accident. But whether it’s your fault or someone else’s, your car needs to be repaired as soon as possible. Car repairs after an accident come in all shapes and sizes, depending on the severity of the accident, so you need to know the fastest way to get your car back on the road.
Call Your Insurance Company
After the initial accident and emergency response, you need to call your insurance company. Let them know what happened and the extent of the visible damage. From there, they’ll advise you on what to do. They may even send out an insurance adjuster to verify the extent of the damage. It is important to realize that not all insurance covers damage to your vehicle. Liability insurance only covers lawsuits by others against you. Depending on the cause of the damage to your vehicle you may require either collision or comprehensive insurance to cover the damages.
Finding an Auto Repair Shop
After contacting your insurance company, it’s time to look for a reputable auto repair shop. If your insurance company doesn’t suggest one, you need to find a repair shop certified by the ASE. You can go online and read the reviews to see how other customers feel about them. This will help you decide whether they’re a good fit for you.
The next step is to get an estimate. If your car only sustained body damage, an auto body repair shop can make the necessary repairs. An auto body repair can repair dents and dings in car doors, or even replace entire body panels, repair or replace bumpers and even replace broken windows, headlights, or taillights, etc. As you can see from the video above even when the damage appears to be relatively minor there are a lot of hidden components in modern vehicles like sensors, etc. So what you think should be a simple inexpensive repair could actually cost thousands of dollars to do properly.
Ask Questions
During the inspection, don’t forget or hesitate to ask questions. A trustworthy mechanic will answer your questions in full without beating around the bush.
Some questions you should ask include:
- How much is the total cost of repair?
- Is there enough damage to consider my vehicle totaled?
- How long have you been in business?
- How long will it take to repair my vehicle?
- Do you offer any warranties?
Follow Up With Your Insurance Company
Once you have gotten an estimate, you need to contact your insurance company again to see what repairs they’ll be willing to pay for. All insurance companies are not the same. Some companies may need you to provide them with a list of repairs along with their cost. You may also need to need additional documentation to get your reimbursement.
Getting your car repaired and back on the road after an accident is stressful. However, there are things you can do to make it a little easier. Make sure to follow the above-mentioned tips, and contact your insurance company if in doubt.
You might also like:
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- The Ins and Outs of Car Insurance
- Simple Maintenance Tips to Keep Your Family Car in Working Order for Years
- How to Handle the Associated Expenses of a Car Accident
- How Will a Fender Bender Affect Your Long Term Finances?
- How Much Car Insurance Do You Really Need?
- Simple Ways to Cut Your Car Insurance Rates
