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Be Prepared Before Accident - January 27, 2007
Know car insurance coverage, repair shop and your legal rights
When a recent snowstorm hit southern Ontario, it wreaked havoc on our roads. Nearly 700 accidents were reported across the province, leaving drivers scrambling to find repair shops.
Whenever bad weather affects driving conditions, I hear stories about motorists who make bad decisions about collision repairs. Sadly, these decisions are completely avoidable.
Accidents often leave motorists feeling frightened, confused and vulnerable. But if you're involved in one, it pays to know your legal rights and what options are available to you.
I should stress that tow truck drivers and insurance agents play an important role in the collision repair process. The sight of a tow truck driver is often a welcome relief for motorists, and insurance agents do their best to help motorists process their claims quickly.
The most instructive piece of advice I can offer on this subject is: be prepared. This means knowing your rights, selecting a collision repair shop and understanding your insurance policy before an accident occurs.
If there are issues you don't understand about your insurance policy, ask your agent for a full explanation. The last thing you want is to be reading fine print when your vehicle is in the shop.
Being prepared for an accident includes knowing what coverage you have. Does your policy stipulate the use of original equipment manufacturers' (OEM) parts, or aftermarket parts?
Most experts agree aftermarket parts are inferior to OEM parts, which affects the quality of repairs to your vehicle.
After an accident, a tow truck will usually appear on the scene fairly quickly. Never sign a consent form that allows drivers to take your vehicle to their choice of repair shop. Insist that the vehicle be taken to your choice of facility.
Stories abound of unsuspecting motorists signing consent forms at accident scenes, only to receive hefty bills from the collision repair shops for towing, administration and storage fees, should they choose to take their vehicles elsewhere.
The problem with an unfamiliar shop is you don't know what you're getting. Is it licensed to do collision repairs? Does it have the specialized knowledge and equipment to repair your vehicle to factory specifications? What guarantees does it offer?
If you drive a fairly new vehicle, you likely have some form of free towing coverage from a roadside assistance program. Or, as a member of the Canadian Automobile Association, a towing service is available to you.
At some point, you need to report the accident to your insurance company. The agent may try to steer you to a repair shop of their choice. But again, that decision rests solely with you, the car owner, not the insurance agent.
When deciding where to bring your vehicle, don't let price be your sole criterion. The skill, knowledge, service and reputation of the repair shop should be factored in.
There are benefits in choosing a new-car dealership to repair your vehicle ? especially if you have had the vehicle serviced there before.
First, a dealership will have quick access to your service records, which will speed up the repair process considerably. New-car dealerships are equipped with the latest diagnostic tools and frame-straightening equipment to restore vehicles to their pre-accident condition, and their technicians are trained to repair your make and model.
Dealerships will expedite any mechanical repairs to the manufacturer's specifications on site, and they use original equipment parts to ensure the structural integrity of your vehicle and to maintain your vehicle's investment.
Dealers provide warranty information and lifetime guarantees and they offer shuttle services, convenient locations, car rental access, quick estimates and speedy turnaround times.
And new-car dealers meet all government-approved guidelines for the safe disposal of toxic substances.
Unfortunately, we can't control the weather or road conditions, and accidents are a fact of life. But that doesn't mean you have to be helpless when it comes to repairing your vehicle
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