Car insurance is a great thing when it comes in handy after an accident and saves you from paying for the entire auto body repair yourself. It can seem like a hassle. But, going about it the right way, it should be no problem getting your vehicle’s damage taken care of.

Here are a few tips we have to offer in avoiding insurance claim headaches.

Collect Personal & Vehicle Information

The first thing to do after getting into an accident (assuming no one has been physically harmed), is to collect some information about the accident and those involved. Getting all the information you need will help when filing the insurance claim. It will also make it easier to get in contact with those who you need to speak with about your repairs. Some standard information to get includes:

• Name & contact info of the other driver involved
• The name of their insurance company
• The name & contact info of the police officer, if applicable

Take Pictures

Along with getting insurance information, it is also a good idea to take some photos that could help with the claim. Relevant photos can be used in police reports, if one was taken. They may also be good for the insurance adjuster to see how the accident happened and what damage there is. Some good pictures to take include:

• All damage on each of the vehicles
• License plates of the vehicles involved
• The accident itself, including the angle at which it occurred
• Location of the accident and vehicles

Calling your Insurance Company

After you’ve gotten all the information on your accident, it’s time to contact your insurance provider. Give them a call and explain that you were in a car accident and need to make a claim. They will ask you a few questions about the accident and the damage, and schedule an adjuster to come out to evaluate what repairs are needed.

Getting your Auto Body Repairs Done

Most insurance companies have recommended auto body shops in Asheville or the city nearest you. You may take your vehicle to one of these shops, or you may choose the body shop you prefer. If you already know which Asheville auto body shop you want to bring your vehicle to, let the insurance adjuster know up front and they will honor your choice.

Read: 5 Tips for Choosing a Reputable Body Shop

Letting the Body Shop Help with Adjusters

If you’re really busy or just don’t want the hassle of dealing with the phone calls, your auto body shop may be able to help with the insurance company. At TD Customs, we are happy to help coordinate with the insurance adjuster to get the estimate and payments.

Negotiating with your Insurance Adjuster, if needed

Sometimes the insurance adjuster may estimate your collision repairs too low. They may not have accounted for  new parts or estimate the repair taking less time to do than what is actually needed. In this case, either you or your auto body shop will need to call the adjuster. They can explain the reasoning behind needed more to cover the complete cost of the repair.

Have an issue with your rental car company? We can help there too.

Many times, while your car is in the shop, your insurance company will typically give you a rental car for up to 30 days. A frequent complaint we get is that the rental car company starts hounding them to return the car after a few days. They want to reduce costs and be able to rent the car out to someone else as soon as possible. This isn’t usually an issue with our customers since collision repairs typically only take us a few days or a week or so. However, as an auto body shop, we are happy to speak with them and report that you are still without your vehicle and need to keep the rental.

Hopefully these tips will help you deal with insurance companies if/ when you are involved in a car accident. If you’ve been in an accident, contact TD Customs for a free estimate on your vehicle’s repairs. We will get your repair on the schedule, and get you in and out in a few days!

See: Fender Bender? We’ll get you in and out!