subject: Auto Accident Insurance - What to Look Out For [print this page] Auto Accident Insurance - What to Look Out For
By far the most crucial concern that needs to be attended to, if you are involved in an auto accident is always to see to any personal injuries that will have resulted. The next most important task is to speak to your insurance company representative. So let's say you get hold of your agent to inform him you have been involved in a car accident, and he seems very helpful. He even suggests a body shop you could take your vehicle to, and might refer to it as being a "preferred" repair shop."Terrific" you may think. That saves you the hassle of needing to find a body shop yourself.. After all, you want to get your car repaired at the earliest opportunity. However, suppose you are already aware of a high quality repair shop that does body repair and would prefer to take your vehicle there.So you notify your insurance representative you wish to take you car to another body shop. But he responds with something similar to "We won't warranty the repair in the event you go there" or "You'll need to spend a lot more if you go to the shop that you picked" or some other statement intended to discourage you from going to your shop and encourage (or possibly attempt to coerce) you to go to the company's "preferred" shop.So what to make of all this? You might be wanting to know why he is wanting to discourage you from opting for your own shop?To respond to this question, you need to know what the final goal of an insurer is: The answer has nothing to do with providing you the convenience of not having to find a good repair shop ... the final target is to generate profits, and as much money as possible! And that is accomplished by minimizing the amount they must pay back in insurance claims.So the collision shop your agent suggests is "preferred" ... preferred by the insurance carrier for THEIR advantage, not yours. And why is that? Because the recommended repairer is under contract to utilize components which are less costly than the original parts that were in the car when it was new. But regrettably, most of these parts are substandard in quality and could even result in a dangerous repair job! This can even mean that your car will be unsafe to drive after the fixes are concluded.There are more reasons why choosing the wrong repair service can lead to dangerous fixes. There's a method referred to as "Clipping", and that means cutting off a complete half of your car (either the front or rear half) and affixing another (undamaged) half of a vehicle that has been wrecked.This process actually entails cutting through the vehicle's unibody or frame, and it affects its structural integrity. Does this sound risky to you? That's because it IS unsafe! But sadly, it isn't against the law! It's a widespread incident.So the bottom line is - if you were to be in a traffic accident - look out! Find out if the shop makes use of OEM (original equipment manufacturer) components, or lesser quality "aftermarket" parts. And if the shop performs "clipping" ... don't even consider using them!
welcome to Insurances.net (https://www.insurances.net)
