After you recover from the shock and stress that immediately follows any automobile accident, you’ll need to focus so you can attend to the matters at hand. As we discussed in our last blog post, on the scene of an accident, follow these safety guidelines. In fact, write them down and stow them inside your vehicle for easy access after a collision. After you take care of safety-related matters, you will need to make lots of decisions. So, make sure you can discern hard facts from fiction. Where accidents, collision repair and insurance are concerned, myths abound.
3 Myths About Collision Repair
1. Myth: You must take your car to your insurance’s “preferred” collision center.
Fact: You can choose where to take your auto for collision repair.
Insurance companies make deals with auto body shops which benefit the insurance company and the body shop but not necessarily you, the consumer! Why do insurance companies recommend one shop over another? Auto body shop representatives offer incentives to insurers to 
recommend their shop. This might be in the form of a discount or other perk designed to get the insurance adjustor to recommend one shop over another. Unfortunately, however, in this scenario, the insurance company saves while the insured suffers from after-market parts, less-than-stellar service and divided loyalties. When you bring your damaged car into DG Collision Center, we keep your best interests in mind, not those of the insurance company. So, don’t feel pressured to head to the company your insurance adjustor recommended. You have the power of choice. So, use it wisely!
Myth: If adjusters rule the car a “total,” you must walk away.
Fact: Sometimes, a “Total” Can Be Saved
Although the damages to your car may appear minimal, your insurance company might rule it a “total.” Insurance adjustors are the ones who decide whether any given car is repairable. You may think they make this type of calculation based solely on the value of the vehicle against the cost of repair. However, this is not the case. Instead, they use complicated mathematical formulas to determine whether a car should be repaired. They calculate the value of a car is against the replacement cost, less the repair cost, minus the salvage value. (We told you it was complicated.) To make the decision, insurance companies maintain very accurate databases of similar cars sold in each region over the last 90 days.
In many cases, the damage is hidden from the naked eye. However, sometimes, it may be worth your while to salvage the truck or automobile. For instance, if you own the car outright, even if it was fully covered, buying a replacement could mean hefty monthly payments. In this case, you may choose to repair the car with replacement funds offered by your insurance. Your auto body shop team can help assess the condition of your car and recommend your best course of action.
Myth: If you’re upside down, you’re screwed.
Fact: We can work it out.
If you owe more for your car than what it is worth after an accident, you might have to pay the difference. The only way to guard against this is to purchase gap protection for your car loan. But this information won’t help on the heels of an accident. (Good to know for next time, right?) But there is good news! Nearly every insurance company is open to negotiation. So, bring your car into DG Collision Center if you’re in the San Gabriel Valley, LA Basin, Inland Empire or Orange County in Southern California. We can help map out a strategy that makes sense to get you back behind the wheel as soon as possible!
About DG Collision Center
The “go-to” location for auto body repair and classic restoration in the San Gabriel Valley. People in the area already know that DG Collision Center pays attention to detail, provides courteous service, and works for fair and affordable prices. If you select DGCC to repair your car, our concierge service will help make your entire auto body repair process easy on you. We will even help you arrange for a rental car and deal directly with your insurance company. DGCC is owned and operated by Dan Hansen, aka “Dan Gogh.” Come by the shop 781 E San Bernardino Road in Covina, contact us via email today, call (626) 445-6630 or visit DGCollisionCenter.com.
