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FAQs About Dealing with Insurance After an Accident

Accidents can occur in under half a second. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), out of the 6 million car accidents that take place on U.S. roads every year, over 40% of them, which is around 2.5 million, are rear-end collisions.

But how does your car recover from a fender-bender or other accident? Bumpers Etc. Auto Body & Collision has you covered with top questions and answers about insurance procedures and protocol.

1. Do I have to use the shop suggested or referred from the insurance company to do repairs?

NO, legally you have a choice to go to whomever you choose for your repairs! In the end, the repair shop is responsible for proper repairs and craftsmanship, not your insurance company. So, be careful not to be steered into going to any repair center without knowing their reputation and what their warranty covers.

2. Why go through insurance vs. paying out of pocket?

Believe it or not, 90% of our current customers make an insurance claim for their repairs. In

2019, we are practically driving computers on wheels that cost a shiny penny to repair. The average insurance deductible is $500 making it a no brainer to make a claim with having the average repair coming in at $4,400.00 for your typical fender bender repair. Also, when making a claim, anything accident related would be covered with your insurance company’s responsibility of making your vehicle back to pre-accident condition. Sometimes, after full disassembly of damaged parts, we will find hidden or indirect damage that needs taken care of.

3. My insurance company wrote a lower damage appraisal than I was expecting and didn’t cover all of my damage involved in this current claim, will I need to pay for everything else that was missed?

No, we work for you as a middle man by fully documenting and making supplements on your behalf after your vehicle comes into our shop. We start by fully disassembling all damaged parts and then compare that to your current estimate. Anything that is missed on the original estimate is documented and sent over to your insurance company with a professional written revised damage appraisal. We then discuss rates, proper repairs and parts concerns making sure you are compensated for repairs before moving forward. Depending on how your policy is set-up your insurance company may deny coverage of vehicle rental, Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) parts or certain repair methods saving them cost. Our goal is to assist with the coverage in all of your repairs only costing you your deductible when your vehicle is ready for pickup.  But unfortunately we can never guarantee coverage on behalf of your insurance company.

4. How long will the repair process take?

This can be answered depending on many factors. Here are the top factors of turnaround time:

  • How much damage is involved factoring in proper repair procedures? How many panels are involved? (We follow all manufactures suggested repair procedures for your safety.)
  • Are there any parts on backorder that could delay the process?
  • Do you already have your claim number and information ready to move forward?
  • After disassembly, there may likely be hidden or additional damage found that will need to be supplemented and submitted to your insurance company for coverage.
  • Depends on how long your insurance company takes to review our supplement and approve your additional damage repair coverage.

The average repair claim will have at least one supplement listed above but could have more depending on negotiations or labor procedures missed by insurance adjusters.

We at Bumpers Etc. Auto Body & Collision, are here for you and your concerns and are very passionate about customer satisfaction. Since 2007, we have been voted by the Lancaster community as their choice for collision repair and professional paint refinishing.

If you have any questions about your car’s body work or body repair, contact us directly at 717-738-0334 or visit our website at bumpersetc.com to see all of our latest reviews from our raving fans!

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