A car accident sometimes feels like one hassle after another. The crash itself is frightening. If you have injuries, you face the stress of finding medical treatment and handling medical bills and insurance.
Then, you have to get your car repaired, which means dealing with your auto insurance company and maybe another driver’s as well. After all that, you have to find a body shop to do the repairs. It may feel overwhelming.
Your insurance company may have a list of “recommended” or “preferred” body shops. Should you use one of these shops, or are you better off somewhere else?
Reasons to use an insurance-approved shop
The major benefit of choosing a pre-approved repair shop is that it saves you time and paperwork. Your insurance company has already verified the shop’s work and approved its pricing. Typically, you won’t have to wait for an insurance adjustor to inspect the damage or review the estimate before work begins.
Approved shops handle most claim paperwork in-house, so you avoid having to complete forms and wait for a check. Also, some insurance companies offer discounts on your deductible for using a shop from their list.
Reasons to use a different body shop
Despite the benefits of using an insurance-recommended repair shop, there are reasons that you may want to choose another shop. For example, you may already have a trusted repair shop that has worked on your car before or offers you a better price for repairs. Sometimes, there may not be an approved shop nearby.
Ultimately, choosing a repair shop is up to you. Your insurance company is there to help pay for repairs even if you select an independent body shop.
