Auto Collision Repair: What You Should Know Before Taking Your Car To The Body Shop
Are you planning to take your vehicle to a local auto body shop in order to have the damage from a recent accident repaired? If so, there are a few facts that you should know before going in for an estimate.
Fact #1: There Is No Need To Get More Than One Estimate
Insurance companies used to require that you submitted as many as three estimates before they would approve any repairs to your vehicle. However, over the years, many insurance companies have done away with this practice due to the need to disassemble a vehicle in order to provide an accurate quote. Nowadays, you are only required to provide your insurance company with one quote for the necessary repairs.
If the insurance company disagrees with this quote, they will have the right to send their own independent claims adjuster to assess the damage to your vehicle. The only thing you will be required to do is ensure that the vehicle is made accessible to the adjuster.
Fact #2: You Don't Always Need To Wait For Approval From The Insurance Company
If you are currently waiting on your claim for repairs to be approved, you should know that it may be possible for you to move forward with these repairs even before you hear back from your insurance company. This is because most auto insurance policies will provide you with the right to complete emergency repairs without prior authorization and still receive payment for these repairs under your insurance coverage. In fact, some policies will even require you to complete these types of repairs immediately. Otherwise, any additional damage that results will not be covered under the policy.
The only catch is, the right to seek emergency repairs only applies in situations where further damage can be done to your vehicle if the repairs are not completed right away. For instance, if your windshield was shattered during the accident, leaving this damage while you wait to hear back about your claim could easily result in further damage to your vehicle.
In order to determine whether or not your insurance policy provides for this type of repair and to determine whether or not your damages qualify for emergency repairs, you will simply need to take a copy of your insurance policy with you when visiting an auto body shop. If you do in fact have coverage for any emergency repairs that are necessary, the body shop will take care of getting these repairs done and submitting a payment request to your insurance company.
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