How to Deal With Your Auto Insurance Co. After An Accident

When it comes to their auto insurance co. consumers don't always know their rights. This article will hopefully help answer some of the questions that you may have.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Time and knowledge

1. One of the first things that you will have to do after an accident is to contact your insurance co. Sometimes but not always they will require two estimates from different body shops.
2. When it comes to choosing an auto repair shop references from family friends and co-workers is probably the best route to go. Your insurance co. will sometimes refer and a shop but that is most likely because the shop belongs to one of their referral programs. So you're really not guaranteed a better price or quality. Bottom line a lot of customers don't realize this but you the customer (not the insurance co.) has the right to decide who does and does not work on your car.
3. After you've gotten your estimate or estimates the insurance co. will look it over and decide what they will or won't pay for. If you have more than one estimate they will most likely want to go with the least expensive one. But that still doesn't mean that you don't have a say in things because it is after all your car.
4. If the damage is over 1000,00 the insurance company will most likely send out an adjuster who look it over and make an estimate.
5. Now it's time to go over your estimate with the repair shop and set up an appointment to have it repaired. So this is the time for you to go over your concerns with the shop manager. Such as if your car is a newer model and the insurance co. has specified for the repair shop to use after market or used parts instead of oem. The insurance co. does this to help cut costs, but the quality usually isn't as good with after market as it is with say genuine GM parts.
6. At this point it's up to you the consumer to take matters into your own hands and deal directly with the insurance co. If you own a fairly new car then it's your right to expect it to be repaired back to like new condition which means new parts!
7. The repair shop can only do what the insurance rep. instructs them so at this point a customers word carries much more weight. Just remember to stay calm and firm with them. If you can't get anywhere with your insurance agent then ask to speak to his supervisor.
   I've seen this work more than once.

Tips & Warnings

• Always be calm, polite, and firm when dealing with your insurance company.
• If you have any questions just let me know and I'll do my best to answer them.