Car repairs after an accident

The sequence

1. You lodge a claim and the vehicle goes to an assessor or an assessing repairer.
2. A scope of works and cost is agreed between the repairer and the insurer.
3. Repairs are authorised and parts ordered.
4. Additional damage found during strip-down is reported and re-authorised — this is the usual cause of delay.
5. The vehicle is repaired, finished and quality checked.
6. You inspect and collect it.

Choice of repairer

Some policies give you choice of repairer; others direct you to the insurer's network. Neither is automatically better — network repairers are usually faster to authorise, and a repairer you know may be more attentive. Check what your policy actually says rather than assuming.

Parts

Repairs may use genuine, aftermarket, parallel or reconditioned parts depending on your policy and the age of the vehicle. If this matters to you — and for a late-model or leased vehicle it often does — ask what will be used before work starts, and ask for it in writing.

Before you accept the car back

• Inspect in daylight, not under workshop lighting.
• Check panel gaps and alignment against the undamaged side.
• Check paint colour match in direct light, from several angles.
• Open and close every door, the bonnet and the boot.
• Check that sensors, cameras and driver assistance systems work — many need recalibration after bumper or windscreen work.
• Drive it before signing, listening for new noises and checking that it tracks straight.
• Ask for the repair invoice and any warranty on the workmanship.