Accidents will happen

You are driving down the street and someone thinks that a red-light is just a general guide to stop and next thing you know you are in an accident. What do you do?
1.Move your vehicle to a safe place. Keep in mind, that state or local statutes may prevent you from doing this. If you cannot move the vehicle, turn on your hazard lights, to keep other vehicles from piling into the same accident.
2.If necessary, seek medical help for yourself, your passengers, or if necessary the occupants of the other vehicle.
3.Notify the police, give them the location of the accident, any claimed injuries.
4.Take note of all passengers and witnesses.
5.Get the names and badge numbers of any police officers that arrive at the scene.
6.Ask for a copy of the police report. It may not be immediately available, but the responding officer(s) should be able to give you the information to obtain a copy of the police report once it has been filed.
7.Avoid any extensive discussion of the accident at the scene about responsibility. This is to protect you. If the other driver offers you a money settlement and you accept, you may compromise your ability to collect if additional damage or injuries are discovered at a later date.
8.Write a complete description of the accident as soon as possible. Include weather conditions, approximate speeds, and as much precise information as you can provide. If possible, take photographs, not only of the accident itself but the surrounding area.
9.Have the vehicle towed or driven to the collision repair facility of your choice, like this one in Sioux Falls, SD that can take care of the entire vehicle if it was damaged in an accident.

Okay, now you've got the car to the repair shop, and insurance is going to repair the car instead of writing the car off. Here are some questions to help you with getting your car repaired in an efficient manner.

Disclaimer: The following information is designed to aide you in the repair of your damaged vehicle. The material is intended to be general in nature.
Before obtaining repairs, you should contact your attorney to ensure that the information complies with your state laws and regulations.

Q: Must I get three estimates?
A: Unless your policy states otherwise, you only need to get one estimate. However, different eyes looking at the same thing may find different issues. Case in point, a while back my parked car was struck by another vehicle. I went to three repair shops, the first one said only the front quarter panel had to be replaced, but the other two found damage to the suspension that had to be repaired.

Q: I was told I must take my car to a certain repair shop, is this really true?
A: See the reason for the disclaimer at the top? This is a wide grey area, some states have laws that bar insurers from dictating where repair work is performed, others allow the insurer to dictate when and how the repairs are done.

Q: What is the best procedure for me to get quality repairs and get my vehicle back on the road quickly?
A: Take the vehicle to reputable repair shop, leave it with the manager. Instruct the manager to contact the insurance company to advise them of the damage (in the case of larger shops, they may have software they use to write the estimate and submit it to the insurance company which helps speed up and standardize the process). Also, call the insurance company and let them know where the vehicle is at.

Q: Who is responsible for my repair shop bill, me or the insurance company?
A: This ends up causing more aggravation than anything else. You are responsible for the repair shop bill. In most cases the insurance company will pay the repair shop directly, but in those rare circumstances where insurance doesn't pay the shop, you will need to pay the shop and then you will be reimbursed.

Q: Who is responsible for the safety, workmanship, and guarantee of the repairs for my vehicle?
A: This is the responsibility of the repair shop.

Q: Can the insurance company and repair shop make an adjustment and make additional repairs without the owner's consent?
A: Generally no (another reason I started with that disclaimer). You should be present for the estimate so you know what repairs are being made.

Q: Do I have to accept that aftermarket parts are going to be used in the repair?
A: Remember, you are the injured party, not the insurance company, so always insist on having your vehicle restored to a pre-accident condition so if OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts are available have them used to repair the vehicle.

Q: Why are you pushing for OEM parts?
A: The cynical andswer would be that is how we make our money. And we do, this is a site run by a parts department at an auto dealership. But even if we don't get a penny we would make the same push for two reasons: 1) OEM parts are designed for that vehicle, instead of a range of vehicles and 2) the OEM part is manufactured with up to date specifications that may have occurred during the normal engineering process or if there was a recall you were not able to bring your vehicle into the dealership to get corrected, that updated part is going to be installed.