Is Collision Repair Worth It On A Badly Damaged Car?
Posted on: 27 October 2020
No one ever plans on getting into a car accident, but here you are. Getting into a simple fender bender is one thing, but if your car was badly damaged in the wreck, you may currently be going back and forth with your insurance provider as to whether the car should be taken to a collision repair shop or just totaled altogether. Here are some tips to keep in mind when considering collision repair as an option for your badly damaged vehicle.
Find Someone to Repair It for Less Than the Cash Value
When a car is damaged beyond repair, the insurance provider will declare that it is totaled and provide you a total percentage of the current cash value of the car. The exact percentage may vary depending on your policy. If you are unhappy with this decision, you do have the right to push back against your insurance company and seek out a repair instead. But in order to get your insurance company to come along, you'll need to find a repair shop that can repair the vehicle for significantly less than what the cash value is.
Get as Many Estimates As You Want
Your insurer may have decided to consider the car totaled based on an estimate of the damage from one particular repair shop. But you should know that you have the right as the car owner to get the car repaired or at least get an estimate at any shop, not just the one that was initially suggested by your insurance company. If you let other shops know that you are trying to keep the car from getting totaled, you might get a lower estimate because the repair shop will do what they can to ensure they get the business.
Stick to Good Parts
While there are a number of ways to lower your repair estimate, one path you should not take would be to go with a bunch of salvaged or aftermarket parts. Only repair the car with parts that are recommended or approved by the car's manufacturer. In fact, going the salvage route might prevent your insurance company from paying or reimbursing you for the repair.
Sustaining serious damage to your car is obviously no fun. If you believe your car is on the verge of being totaled but you would prefer a repair, contact a local collision repair expert today to see what they can do
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