Know Your Rights
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
By law, you have the right to select where your vehicle is repaired.
You also have the right to have your vehicle towed to the repair facility of your choice. However, an insurance company is not required to pay more than a reasonable amount for repairs and parts. Your rights regarding repairs on your vehicle are explained in the Texas state insurance code, article 5.07-1
WHAT TO KNOW
- Never drive your car that maybe unsafe because of damages
- Some insurance companies may either want you to visit their drive-in claims center or send pictures of the damages so they can prepare an estimate based on the pictures. You can do this, or you can leave your vehicle at the shop and request the insurance company to inspect your vehicle at the shop.
- The insurance must pay for all accident-related damage
- Check with your policy to see if rental is covered
- Being involved in an accident can be a daunting experience, so let the shop help you navigate through the claims and negotiate with the insurance company
- After you have chosen the repair facility, inform your insurance carrier where you will be having your vehicle repaired so that an adjuster can be assigned to inspect your vehicle
STEERING
It is illegal for insurance companies to steer, direct, or refer customers to a particular shop.
Common phrases used by some insurance companies when you choose a shop not on their “list”:
“They are not one of our network shops and not on our list so we cannot warranty the repair.” Any reputable shop will warranty their repairs. Its up to the shop to warranty the repairs not the insurance.
“If you use that shop, you will have to pay out of pocket”. This is false. Some insurance companies will try and force you into a rental reimbursement, which means they will try to get you to pay by credit card and reimburse you later. You should refuse that option. Most insurance companies have direct billing with rental companies.
“Claims take longer to settle is you use them.” On occasions, there is a delay if the insurance is slow to respond or if there are back ordered parts with no ETA. National back ordered parts usually effect most multi shop operations and independent shops.
LIFETIME WARRANTY
Because Ames Collision places such importance on the high quality of our materials and workmanship, we are confident in our repairs. That’s why we back all of our repair work, with a written lifetime warranty. If there’s ever something in relation to your repair that needs to be corrected, you can bring your vehicle to us and we’ll be more than happy to assist you, guaranteed.
Ames Collision is a reputable name for collision repair work in Dallas. We’ve so many happy customers from Highland Park, Irving, University Park, Addison and other nearby areas. Let your car get the best hand in this job followed by a lifetime warranty.