5 Steps to Take After Your Car Is Damaged in a Car Accident

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5 Steps to Take After Your Car Is Damaged in a Car Accident

By Steven Jensen
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February 8, 2022
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It’s a hassle dealing with the fallout after a car accident. One of the biggest inconveniences is having a crashed and damaged car. Read this article to understand your rights when it comes to getting your car repaired or replaced.

Does your car need repairs or to be replaced after the car accident?

The steps you need to take depend on whether your car needs repairs or is a total loss, i.e., needs to be replaced.

Your car is considered totaled if the cost of repairs meets or exceeds 65% to 70% of the market value of your car.

We’ll first walk you through the steps to take if your car needs repairs. Then, we’ll show you what to do if your car is totaled and needs to be replaced.

A. Take these steps if car needs repairs. [For total loss, skip to section B below]

The less damage to your vehicle, or the more expensive your vehicle, the more likely you’ll be getting repairs after a car accident. Once it’s determined your car is not totaled and needs repairs, take these five steps.

Step 1: Photograph and video the damage to your car.

Before you do anything, get photographs and video of your vehicle. Do a walk around, videoing all parts of the car. Don’t just video the damaged parts, video the entire car. This documents what the car looks like at the time of the car crash.

Take several photographs. Always take a photograph that’s further away, then take 2-3 as you get closer to the car. If you just take several close ups, it’s hard to tell where the damage is on the car.

While you’re at it, take pictures of the other driver’s damage, as well. You may never get another chance to see the other driver’s damaged car.

Step 2: Report the car accident to the at-fault car insurer and your car insurer.

As soon as possible, report the car accident to your insurance company and the insurance company of the other driver. Many insurance companies now have apps that allow you to report a claim. The process takes about 15 minutes per insurance company.

Should your insurance company pay for the damage even if you’re not at fault for the car accident? For the answer, read the section below titled “Which insurance company pays for my car damage?”

Step 3: Avoid driving the crashed car, if possible.

Even if the damage seems minor, avoid driving the car. Not all damage is visible, and you don’t want to put yourself in danger. Work with the insurance company to get a rental vehicle. Tell the insurer you are worried to drive a damaged car.

Also, if you drive the vehicle, and make the damage worse, the insurance company may blame you and not pay for all the repairs. If you avoid using the car altogether, the insurance company can’t blame you for the damage.

Step 4: Get an estimate for repairs.

Take the vehicle to your preferred body shop. The car insurer will often recommend a few shops to you in your area. Otherwise, you can go to whichever shop you prefer. Make sure you choose a reputable body shop with good reviews.

The body shop will prepare a detailed estimate of the cost of repairs. The estimate will breakdown the parts needed and labor costs.

Repair estimates can change. Once the mechanic begins repair work, he or she may notice additional damage. This will increase the cost of repairs or make the car a total loss.

Be sure to give the body shop the insurance claim information, including the name of the insurance company, the adjuster’s name and phone number, and the claim number. The body shop will then contact the insurance company to coordinate payment for the repairs.

Step 5: Keep all receipts, invoices, and estimates.

After you pick up your repaired car, keep all paperwork from the body shop and insurance company. You will want this paperwork in case you have a lingering problem with your car. Don’t assume that the body shop or insurance company will keep copies for you.

B. Take these steps if your car is a total loss.

Remember, your car is a total loss if the repairs are high, equaling 65% or more of the value of the market value of your car.

Step 1: Photograph and video your crashed car.

Before you do anything, get photographs and video of your vehicle. Do a walk around, videoing all parts of the car. Don’t just video the damaged parts, video the entire car. This documents what the car looks like at the time of the car crash.

Take several photographs. Always take a photograph that’s further away, then take 2-3 as you get closer to the car. If you just take several close ups, it’s hard to tell where the damage is on the car.

While you’re at it, take pictures of the other driver’s damage, as well. You may never get another chance to see the other driver’s damaged car.

Step 2: Report the car accident to the at-fault car insurer and your car insurer.

As soon as possible, report the car accident to your insurance company and the insurance company of the other driver. Many insurance companies now have apps that allow you to report a claim. The process takes about 15 minutes per insurance company.

Should your insurance company pay for the damage even if you’re not at fault for the car accident? For the answer, read the section below titled “Which Insurance Company Pays for My Car Damage?”

Step 3: Move the car from the tow yard.

If your car was towed from the scene of the car crash to a tow yard, locate and move the car right away. Storage fees are expensive. If your car sits in the tow yard for days and weeks, you’ll be stuck with a huge storage fee.

The easiest way to get it moved is to have your car insurance company move it. Give the adjuster the location of the car and permission to move the car. The adjuster will then have the car moved to a location that does charge you storage fees.

If you refuse to give the car insurer permission to move your car from the tow yard, you can get stuck with the storage fees.

Be sure to remove your personal belongings from your car at your earliest convenience.

Step 4: Get a repair estimate or appraisal for the crashed car.

The insurance company will look at the photographs of the damage. If it’s obviously totaled, there’s no need to get a repair estimate. The adjuster will appraise the vehicle. An appraisal tells you how much the car is worth. Most insurance companies use a third-party software to determine the market value of your car.

Sometimes, it’s not obvious whether your car is totaled. In that case, take your car to your preferred body shop. The body shop will prepare a detailed estimate of the cost of repairs. The estimate will breakdown the parts needed and labor costs.

If the cost of repairs meets or exceeds about 65%-70% of the market value of your car, then your car is a total loss.

Repair estimates can change. Sometimes, your car isn’t considered a total loss with the initial estimate. However, once the mechanic begins repair work, he or she may notice additional damage. This will increase the cost of repairs and possibly total your car.

Step 5: Make sure your total loss offer is fair.

Once the insurance company makes an offer to you, do your homework. Ask the insurance company for the full valuation report. It’s usually about 15 pages. The valuation report shows you comparison vehicles that the insurance company used. Confirm that the insurance company entered in the correct specifications for your vehicle. For example, make sure the mileage is correct. Or, if your car is a diesel engine, make sure it says diesel, not fuel.

Run your own estimate reports on NADA and Kelley Blue Book. If the insurance company is in the ballpark, settle the case. If they are off by more than 5%, dispute the offered amount.

Keep in mind that you are entitled to reimbursement for sales tax, licensing, and registration. For example, if you still have 8 months remaining on your registration, the insurer should pay you 8 months’ worth of registration.

What is collision v. liability-only coverage?

Purchasing car insurance can be confusing. Let us explain a bit about collision coverage.

Collision coverage insures damage to your car after a crash. You are not required to have collision coverage. To access your collision coverage, you simply contact your insurance company and provide proof of the car accident.

In contrast, liability coverage insures damage to someone else’s car after a crash; liability coverage is triggered when you are at fault for the car accident. You are required to have liability coverage.

If you own an old car that’s not worth much, for example, less than $5,000, it may not be worth it to buy collision insurance coverage. If the amount you would pay in premiums and the out-of-pocket deductible is more than the value of your car, you are probably better off not buying collision coverage. Part of this depends on how long you’re able to drive without getting into a car accident.

Which insurance company pays for my car damage?

It depends. If you are not at fault for the car accident, you can go through your insurance company or the at-fault party’s insurance company. Even if you go through your insurance company, your rates should not go up.

Pros v. Cons of going through your insurance company:

Pros: You tend to get better customer service when it’s your insurance company. Your insurer wants to keep you as a customer. This should result in better customer service.

Also, your insurance company can often pay your claim faster than the at-fault insurer. The at-fault insurer will want to make sure it investigates the accident before paying a claim. However, your insurance company does not need to know right away; it must pay your claim regardless of who’s at fault. So, if you need the claim to move faster, go with your insurance company.

Cons: If you go through your car insurer, will need to pay the deductible out-of-pocket. This is true even if you aren’t at-fault. If you don’t have the money to cover the deductible, then go through the at-fault driver’s insurer.

If you aren’t at-fault, the at-fault insurer will eventually reimburse you for your deductible.

Bottomline, if you want the claim to go faster, go through your insurer. If you don’t want to pay anything out-of-pocket, go through the at-fault insurer. If neither of these matter to you, go with the better insurance company that will pay the most for your car.

If you are at fault for the accident, you have only one choice – your car insurer. You will have to pay the deductible, and you won’t get reimbursed. If you have liability only coverage, then you are stuck paying the repairs to your car. Also, you won’t get money to buy a replacement car.

What other questions or comments do you have when it comes to getting money for the damage to your car?

Let us know in the comments below!

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