Sad day...First wreck. Advice on Insurance & Repairs?

Sad day indeed. First ever accident on my driving record; so I'm really unfamiliar with the process. On top of that this is my baby, so I'm not sure what the best way to proceed with getting this repaired. Any of you who have been through this before that can give advice as to what to avoid and what to do to ensure that I can get this repaired back to like-new condition?

 

I had a similar accident in my baby. It was about $3,500 in damages and took a week to fix.

Ask around and find out what the best body shop in your area is. Then take it there to get an estimate. Also take it to a couple other shops for estimates too.

Your insurance company will ask a bunch of questions when you file your claim, and if the accident was on the road they will most likely want a police report too. Some body shops work directly with insurance companies and the insurance company will pay them directly. Other wise the insurance company will cut you a check and you get to choose what body shop you go to. I went to a body shop that my insurance company paid directly for convenience.

Bottom line, a good body shop will make her look new again and the insurance company will make it painless. That was my experience and also the reason I keep USAA for insurance.

Before


After

 

Since you live in Texas you do not need to get multiple estimates. In fact under Texas law you can refuse the insurance companies estimate and take it where ever you want. They have to pick up the bill. Personally I would take it to the dealer and have OME parts put on it and tell the dealer you want it back like it was prior to the accident.

27. CHOICE OF REPAIR ShOP AND REPL4CEMENT PARTS. You have the right
to choose the repair shop and replacenient parts for your vehicle. An insurance company


may not specify the brand, type, kind, age, vendor, supplier, or condition of parts or

products used to repair Your automobile. The insurance company must provide you



notice of the above requirements as follows:


• claims submitted by telephone written notice within three business days or



immediate verbal notice, followed by written notice within 15 days;


• claims submitted in person immediate written notice at the time you present

your ehic Ic to an insurer or an insurance adjuster or other peron in connection



with a claim for damage repair: or


• claims submitted in writing — written notice must he provided within three

business days of the insurance company’s receipt of the notice.
http://www.tdi.texas.gov/rules/2012/documents/Consumer_Bill_o1.pdf

 

Sorry I can't help much, haven't been in an accident myself either. Doesn't look too bad though, but I'm sure I would have a complete meltdown had that happen to my baby. Good luck with your insurance!

 

Just do what the guy who rear ended me last week did, lie through your teeth and blame the driver of the car you hit. Seems to be working for him so far, though USAA will not be paying the claim the other driver filed for his now totaled Honda Odyssey. Farmers is also not planning on paying for my damages, so off to arbitration for the two insurance companies. Though Farmers has apparently decided that facts just get in the way of their decision, so they are ignoring them.

 

Time for a new plate bumper, your lucky.

 

Now in all seriousness, and yes some of this is what to do when it happens and may not apply in this case.

- Document everything, and keep all paperwork
- Get good photos of the damage, and get photos at the accident scene if possible
- Identify any potential witnesses to what happened, it may help you down the road if there is a dispute
- Never admit to the other driver you were at fault, let the insurance company deal with it
- Pick your own body shop, one that you are comfortable with and that does good work. Insurance companies will try to push you to one of their approved shops, which may or may not be a good idea
- Stay involved in the entire process, don't just assume that someone else is handling it
- If you live in an area where the police actually take reports in non-injury accidents, get a copy when it is available

 

I was thinking the same thing... but I have no clue how much one of those run.

 

So, which option is more likely to work out best? I'm assuming the insurance company prefers to cut a check for as low an amount as possible. If it works directly with the shop, then I'm assuming they'll be more likely to pay out for what it actually cost to repair? However, I'm wondering how often a shop would try to inflate the cost for repair to pad their take from it.

I did stop by the dealer, but they only gave me a verbal estimate, saying they wouldn't have an actual until they took all apart. I can see how that may be true, but something that seemed weird was he suggested my radiator was leaking (said it smelled like it), but I see absolutely no evidence of that (drove it the rest of the day without ever overheating).

 

UPDATE. 3 weeks later all fixed up:
Before

After


Before

After


Before

After

 

Nice! I'm sure they just pulled it out. Nothing to really replace.