An accident can happen to anyone and at any time. As much as 4.4 million car accidents happen on US roads every single year. The damages to the car and potential injuries and fatalities are only quantified with every accident.
But when an accident happens, your car will most likely need some kind of repairs. Whether that is a new paint job or a complete revamp, every vehicle needs to be taken to the shop.
In this article, we are going to tell you the 3 ways you can get the car repaired after an accident. So, without wasting too much time, let’s start.
Choose the Best Insurance
In 99% of countries on this earth, you cannot buy a vehicle without insurance. This means that you will always have a financial backup in case of an accident.
Car insurance might not be as expensive, but it certainly comes in handy after a crash. If you’re not at fault for the collision, then you can choose the type of insurance to help you financially.
Some insurance policies cover all the costs, while others don’t. Naturally, the ones that cover everything cost a lot more. There are pros and cons to every type of car insurance, and every insurance company offers different terms.
In most cases, the costs for repairs are deducted from the insurance policy. What amount of money is left from the insurance policy will remain for future days. If there is no amount remaining but the costs outweigh the total amount of the policy, then you will need to pay the remaining amount out of pocket.
You Can Fix It Yourself
This is a double edge sword that many people are surprisingly open to doing. Namely, you always have the option of doing the repairs yourself.
The negative side of this is that you can mess up something due to being inexperienced. The good thing about it is that you might pay significantly less for repairs.
But the bottom line is that you can do it yourself whilst also banking the money from the insurance company. This, of course, should only be the case if you’re not planning on repairing the car or if the car is in drivable condition.
Let’s assume that the damages after an accident leave the vehicle in a drivable condition. Let’s also assume that you get $1,000 from the insurance company to get a new paint job and to fix minor issues related to the exterior.
You can take the money and try to find the parts yourself and fix the car yourself.
But we talked about the obvious drawbacks when selecting this option. Inexperience can cost a lot, and who knows what you’ll do to the vehicle if you have no idea what you’re doing.
You Can Choose the Repair Shop
Whenever you are given options to choose from, do know that you can reject them and instead go with your own repair shop. In most cases, insurance companies will present different options where you can go and get the job done.
Very rarely do insurance companies have only one option for you to choose from. In the least, you will get two to three options. All three will offer different rates and all three will differ in quality.
And you don’t even have to choose what the insurance company offers. You can always choose the repair shop yourself. Sure, it might not be as fast as with the one that the insurance company offers, but it might save you a lot of money.
Certain auto repair shops have a contract with insurance companies that vouch for prices. And they operate on a certain business model that you might not like. They are fairly familiar with the customers that enter their shop and they’re used to dealing with them in a certain way.
If you think that you can get your vehicle repaired for a much lower cost if you go to a 3rd party repair shop, then go for it. There are obvious pros and cons to everything in life, and such is the case when choosing the way of repairing after an accident.
With that said, there are tons of high-quality repair shops that will do a perfect job, such as tachoirauto.com.
Ultimately, you make the final selection.
What Not To Repair on Your Own
For those that like to repair their vehicles by themselves, here is a shortlist of things you should never repair on your own.
Timing Belt
The timing belt is something you should never replace on your own. While this part can be damaged after a car crash, it is also one of those parts that need replacing after going over a certain mileage.
But the reason you should never do it on your own is that it can be quite expensive to replace, and is quite vital to the vehicle. Never risk making this repair on your own.
Engine Diagnostics
While not essentially a repair, running a full engine diagnostic is a rather risky endeavor. While it might sound smart to have a look under the hood whenever the engine lights pops on the dashboard, who knows what damages you might cause to the engine itself while touching and inspecting things.
Fuel Pump
If the engine is the heart of the vehicle, then the fuel pump is the main vein. The fuel pump is an expensive part that can get easily broken after a car crash.
This part alone can cost you upwards of $2,000! The fuel pump is responsible for the fuel going into the engine. But the part is very sensitive, meaning things can go south pretty quick and fast.
If you try to repair this one on your own, then you’re risking making very costly repairs. But there is yet another reason why you should never try and repair this part.
Namely, if you attach it wrong or repair it wrong then the whole vehicle might need repairs. The cases where a faulty repaired fuel pump has resulted in the “death” of a vehicle are very rare.
