Many of the big auto insurance companies give their policy holders the option to obtain a fast estimate for damage by allowing them to take photos and video on their phones and upload them on the company’s app. Sounds great, right? Saves you time, right? Well, maybe, but in the end, it could be doing you more harm than good.
It’s not a good idea to bypass a physical inspection of the damage by your mechanic. In addition to potentially driving an unsafe vehicle, you could find yourself with a check from the insurance company that comes nowhere close to covering the full cost of all the repairs. This means you have to come up with the difference.
In many cases, if you use the photo upload feature, you forfeit your right to choose your own inspector and mechanic.
In many cases, no. Damage to your car could be far worse than you can see with the naked eye. Plus, you may not know the best angles to take photos from, compromising the ability of the adjuster receiving the photos to notice the real damage. An inspector who comes out to take their own photos will know what to look for and will know the best pictures to take.
Because vehicle damage can be much worse on the inside than it looks on the outside, the only way to ensure your safety is to bring your car to a trusted auto body shop for an in-person inspection. You may see a minor dent and think nothing of it. But your mechanic may find unseen damage underneath that could compromise adjacent areas. Don’t skip this step, as you could be putting yourself and passengers at risk.
On one hand, it’s good that insurance companies are trying to make the claims process easier and quicker for their customers. However, if an inaccurate estimate is the result, the process is flawed and it’s just not worth the convenience. Lacking a professional inspection, photos alone can’t provide a high level of accuracy when it comes to assessing the totality of vehicle damage.
If you find that your insurance estimate is too low because you got a higher one from an actual mechanic to fix the damage, you do have some recourse. You could file a supplemental claim so you can get reimbursed for your out of pocket costs; however, you will still be responsible for paying the difference up-front. That means you have to come up with the cash (cash you may not have at the moment) to pay the mechanic so you can start driving again.
All is not lost if you have already used your insurance company’s photo estimate feature to get reimbursed for auto damage. Provided your insurance company agrees to cover the extra repair costs, you can get the money back.
Notify your insurance company that you wish to submit a supplemental claim. Do this in writing or by certified mail. Ask your provider what information you have to provide so that the process can be quicker. Keep all paperwork and receipts from repairs on you, and make copies.
Just be aware that sometimes, issues related to a collision don’t reveal themselves until weeks after the initial accident and repairs. If you can prove the newly-revealed damages stemmed from the original accident, your insurance company may pay out a supplemental claim.
Auto Group Collision in Brooklyn, NY is Here to Assist with Your Car Insurance Claims
Since 2004 Auto Group Collision has been providing the people of Brooklyn and surrounding areas with the highest quality of collision repair and auto body repair service. We established a trusted collision center that takes customer from the initial estimate to the completion of repair to getting you back into your car and in the driver’s seat while working closely with your insurance company.
Dealing with an automobile collision is traumatic enough without having to worry about filing insurance claims. We know that each insurance company has its own procedures, and we’re here to assist you with the insurance company transactions. We provide the information they require regarding the collision repairs, as we guide you through the entire process of dealing with all the paperwork.
We accept all insurance estimates and work with all insurance companies. Auto Body Collision wants you to be a satisfied policy holder, so we’ve established relationships with all the region’s major insurance companies. Working directly with your insurance company, we’re able to start repairs immediately while also often helping speed up the insurance adjuster’s inspection and approval.
As soon as the work is approved, the parts are ordered. To expedite the work, when parts are received they are put into a bin, which only holds parts for one particular job. This type of care and orderliness insures your vehicle is repaired using only authorized parts.
Auto Body Collision works with your insurance company, estimating damage, handling your claim, and negotiating with the insurance company to make sure your repairs are done properly and swiftly.
Has your car been in a collision or minor fender bender? If your vehicle has received body, frame or paint damage, call Auto Group Collision at (718) 449-4616 and see how we can help! Contact us now to for a FREE ESTIMATE!