Accidents and Insurance: Collision Repair Manassas

Uh-oh, you’ve been in an accident and now you need collision repair in Manassas.  Hopefully, you and your loved ones are okay.  Once the nerves have settled, everyone is uninjured, just shaken up.  Now it’s time to start the insurance claim process.

The person that hit hit you has insurance so what do you do now? After you have exchanged insurance and contact info, follow these steps to get your car back on the road as quickly as possible.

Who is to blame?

If you are to blame and have collision coverage, inform your insurance carrier.  Be prepared to give relevant info like policy and vin number as well as details of the accident.

You should receive a claim number which you will need to share with the auto body shops when obtaining estimates.  Check with your carrier if they provide rental coverage if necessary.

It wasn’t my fault!

You can file the claim and take your car to an auto body shop to start getting an estimate.  This will help you get your car on the road quicker, but you will be on the hook for the deductible.  Unfortunately, if you do not have collision coverage, this won’t work for you.

The other option is to wait for the police report and file a claim with the other driver’s insurance.  This helps you avoid the deductible and makes you eligible to a rental.

Filing an auto insurance claim

In order to file a claim, the police report is required. This will contain important information pertaining to the insurance of the other driver.

Contact the other driver’s insurance (if they were at fault) to file the claim against them.  The time allotted for an insurance to accept liability depends on your location and if the other driver has contacted their insurance to report the claim.

The insurance carrier conducts an investigation to determine liability where they contact all involved parties.

Take your car to an auto body shop

If you can drive your car away from the scene, find a reputable shop.  If your car needs to be towed, make arrangements with an auto body shop to have it towed (or picked up by the shop if possible) to them to receive an estimate.

Make sure to contact your insurance company and file a claim.  They can recommend shops they work with.  You are not required to take your car to a shop that your insurance.  An unaffiliated shop can negotiate with your insurance as well.

Wait for the collision repair in Manassas

The leg work has been done.  Now it is in the hands of the car repair  experts.  Hopefully these tips help you avoid some of the headaches and frustration that can accompany a car accident.

With any luck, the car will be repaired in a reasonable amount of time, and the bill will be covered.  On the bright side, after the collision repair in Manassas, it might seem like you have a brand new car!