Out of Body Shop Experience

Not that anyone ever wants the experience, but chances are at one point in your life, despite every precaution you take, you will probably get into an accident. Whether or not it's your fault, that will be the moment when you're going to need to enlist the aid of one of those myriad body shops you've driven past over the years. It seems they're on every corner, especially in some parts of your community, but when you need them, they're booked up (especially after rainy weather).

Be Discerning
It's not advisable to take the first body shop you run across in any event, despite the fact that you've lost your daily driver and you want your ride back as quickly as possible. Desperation forces hasty decisions and you can't afford to do that, literally and figuratively—especially if you were at fault.


Generally, most insurance companies will offer a rental car based, of course, on the type of policy you have chosen, but it may still cost you a small per diem. If the other party caused the accident, you will likely get the rental car as part of their coverage, but unfortunately you may encounter that regrettable situation where the other party, who caused the accident, doesn't have insurance. This is where it gets stickier, but this isn't about the legal ramifications, so the focus remains on just getting the car repaired. Most importantly, it pays to have good insurance coverage and a good agent, so think about that today, before an accident occurs. Hopefully, the body shop you choose can help you with securing a rental car.

The Art of Estimates
In most cases, you will have to provide at least two or more estimates of the damage, and the winning bid your insurer will accept is likely the lowest. It's safe to say that there are body shops and then there are other body shops. Just because they may have a sign out front doesn't mean they do the same things. Look around the facility or yard. If there are a lot of cars in various states of (dis)repair and a lot of them look they've been there for a while, walk away. It's important to recognize that in the field of body repair, cleanliness, readiness and presentation all mean something.

Ask Questions
Be prepared to ask some questions—don't be intimidated in the least. This is your car, after all, and you want it to be fixed properly so that it operates the same as it did pre-accident. Many people will agree that once damaged, a car is never the same. You want to try and avoid that feeling, and having a good shop take care of the repairs will go a long way toward making your car look fresh again and helping you overcome any negative thoughts you may have toward the vehicle.