After a car accident, there are two things that will probably need attention: your body and your car.
For personal injuries to your body, the answer is always treatment. Whether it’s the hospital for injections and surgery or a physical therapist for recovering from the accident and getting your body right, the answer is so common, there is no questioning where to go.
However, for damage to your car, the answer is not so simple. Where do you go? How do you get money to repair your car?
Steps to Getting Your Car Fixed
Contact Your Insurance
The first thing that you should do after a car accident in any kind of situation is to call your insurance. Get yourself and the car to a safe place so that there is no immediate danger. From there, call your insurance and give the details of what happened. Remember that you should NEVER admit fault. Admitting fault will ruin your chances of getting any kind of financial compensation.
But that doesn’t mean that you should lie. Give an objective perspective and story of what happened. The insurance agent and the police report will always side with whoever was not at fault, and you being truthful will always help your case.
Choose a Repair Shop
Sometimes, insurance companies will give you a list of repair shops near you that are trustworthy. If you have your own mechanic and shop that you go to, then that is fine too. Just make sure that the mechanic is in the insurer’s network. If not, they may not be able to financially help you cover the cost of repairs.
However, if you have neither (you don’t have your own mechanic, but you also don’t want to go with your insurance’s list), then here is a quick list of requirements a repair shop should have:
- Can thoroughly explain what repairs your car needs without overcomplicating the terms
- Affiliation with AAA
- Warranties on repairs (just in case something goes wrong)
- Customer reviews on service and repairs
- Reasonable prices
If the mechanic you chose can fulfill at least 4 of the 5 on this list, the process should be stress-free and quick.
How Long Do I Have to Fix My Car
To file a claim for a car accident, the state of Florida gives you up to 4 years until you lose the right to file a lawsuit. However, that may not be the same to get your car fixed. Some insurance companies may deny your coverage if you take too long to report the accident.
Instead of waiting and trying to wait it out for a response, one of the best ways to deal with car accident repairs is to get them done as soon as possible.
It just makes no sense to have a car that has a defect and keep driving it to save money. That kind of inaction towards your vehicle is not only a backstep to getting repairs, but is more of a setback to your life. Why would you want to keep driving a broken car that has a cosmetic or mechanical defect?
How Do I Drive Without My Car?
After your car is put in the shop, you will probably not have your car for about 2 weeks. You should prepare for at LEAST a week of not having your car. So how do you get around?
- Car rental. Most of the time, your insurance will include rental in the coverage while you get your car fixed. If not, you can always shop around companies like Enterprise or Hertz to get a good deal.
- Public transportation. Although it isn’t the best option, it is the cheapest if rental is too expensive. Rental cars can range from $50-$100 a day depending on the type of car that you choose to get. If your insurance can’t cover the loaner car while your car is being fixed, you are going to have to shell out at least $250 for the amount of time you are going to drive the loaner car. Obviously, not everyone has this kind of money. So if you are in a tight spot, using public transportation is a good option.
Call Your Insurance Company and Repair Shop to Follow Up
Following up with your insurance company and repair shop is the most important step.
There is no going back, so make sure that the repair shop is making the necessary repairs and that the insurance company is also aware of the repairs.
If the insurance company and your repair shop aren’t on the same page, now is the time to correct that and make sure that they are.
Finalize the Repairs and Pay
Your mechanic will call you and let you know when the car is ready to be picked up. Once the car is ready and you are at the site to pick up your car, make sure that the car is working properly.
Take the car out for a test drive and make sure it’s driving as it was before.
After you test drive the car, the next step is to make sure the repairs were done correctly. Run through the bill one more time with the mechanic and make sure that each part that you repaired is understood. If there is any discrepancy, make sure that they tell you why.
The worst thing is when you have to finally pay and the insurance company tells you that the estimates vs the actual costs is too different and that you will need to cover part of it or the whole thing.
Now, when it comes to paying, the insurance company will either pay you directly so that you can pay the shop or they will pay directly to the shop. If you are at fault, the insurance company may not reimburse you for the deductible. But if you are found not at fault, then the insurance company will reimburse you in most cases.
Contacting a Car Accident Lawyers in Miami
If you or a loved one got injured in a car accident in Miami and are going through pain and suffering from the injuries, give us a call.
With decades of experience and hundreds of cases won, our car accident lawyers are here to serve YOU.
Starting with a free consultation, our team will listen to your story to get the full details. After hearing all the details, we will start gathering evidence and photos to build you a strong case.
We don’t win, until YOU win, so give our team a call.
