How Your Insurer Determines Your Auto Repair Costs

How your car repairs are calculated after an accident.

Getting into an accident is a headache for any driver and, when you think about the cost of repairing your car, things can seem so much worse.  Even if you have insurance to cover your damages, you still want to know what to expect.  To ensure that you stay on the same page as your insurer, here is how your car repairs are calculated after an accident.

The Role of Your Claims Adjuster and Appraiser

After you have filed a claim for an accident, you will give a statement to your claims adjuster.  You will recount the details of the accident and send them any information that you have (the other driver’s contact and insurance information, police report details, photos, and so on).  If you have coverage for your damages, then your adjuster will send out an appraiser to inspect your vehicle and officially document the extent of your car’s damage.

During their inspection, your appraiser will determine which parts need to be replaced.  Because your insurance will only offer coverage for the damages stemming directly for the accident, the appraiser will also check to make sure you have not made a claim for prior damage to your vehicle.

Repair Estimate

Based on the inspection, your appraiser will generate an itemized list of all parts and repairs that your car needs.  This list will also account for labor time and costs, paint time, and subtotals with tax.  The appraiser will add all these subtotals together and account for taxes to generate your repair estimate.  Please note that this sum is still a preliminary estimate; it’s possible that your costs will increase if the repair shop finds additional damages.  If this occurs, then the shop will submit a supplement for your insurance company to review.  So long as the damages are related to the accident, your insurer will work directly with the shop to arrange the repairs.

This is how your car repairs are calculated after an accident.  Do you have further questions regarding your auto insurance coverage?  If so, then contact the experts at Champion Commercial Insurance in Dallas, Texas today.