Being involved in an accident is stressful. You may have questions on what to do if you’ve been in an accident. Here are some common questions and answers that will help you in your case:
1. What happens if I use my own insurance?
If you choose to have your own insurance company handle the property damage claim, you can only get a rental car for the amount allowed in your insurance contract. If your contract allows for 20 days of rental car coverage and it takes 30 days to repair your damaged car, you will have to pay for the extra 10 days in rental fees with your own money.
2. What can I do when the insurance company wants to repair my vehicle with used parts?
Since your car was not new at the time of the accident, the insurance company has the right to repair your car with used parts. However, the used parts must be of similar quality and age. Even though the parts are used, the repair shop will use parts from the same manufacturer, same year and of the same quality as the original parts. Used parts come from a nationally based locating system and can arrive in one to two business days. New parts come from the manufacturer or dealerships and typically take weeks to be delivered.
Related: Kentucky Accident Attorney Explains Property Damage
3. What happens if the body shop finds additional damages?
Many times throughout the repair process, the body shop will discover additional damages that may not have been initially approved by the insurance company. When this happens, the body shop will document the additional damages by taking pictures or asking the insurance adjuster to come to the body shop and inspect the damage. Unless the insurance company can prove that the additional damage is not accident-related, they will be obligated to repair it. This will be handled by the body shop repairing your car.
4. What should I do if I’m not happy with my car’s repair job?
If you are unhappy with the repair work done on the vehicle, it is best to return to the original body shop and explain why you are unhappy. Most body shops will do everything in their power to make the customer happy. If the body shop refuses to address your concerns, take the vehicle to other local body shops and have them document what should have been done by the shop, but was not. You can then provide the insurance company with this information.