If you have been recently involved in an accident, the next thing you would want to do is file a claim with the insurance company. This claim would contain estimates regarding the cost of repairs and your auto insurance provider is going to send you a check without any deductible. However, when you receive this claim check, do you wish to spend it whichever way you please or you would go ahead to fix the damages on your car. This is why we have brought you this car insurance check instead of repair article to guide and enlighten you some more.
The check you received might be a very hefty one and you might also have intentions of moving around with your car that has dents and scratches. This is very common if the car you drive is a old one but if you are going to cash out on the check provided by the auto insurance company then that would rest on a whole lot of factors. The following are few questions that would be able to help you determine if you can keep the check or go ahead and fix the repairs you need to make on your vehicle.
Car Insurance Check Instead Of Repair
Is The Car Yours?
If the car in question here isn’t yours then you have no other option than to fix the car. This also applies whether the car is on lease or on auto loan. The agreement had when leasing or loaning the vehicle must have included ensuring that the vehicle must always be in good driving condition and it should be same when it is being returned. However, if there is a lease or a loan on the vehicle, the insurance claim check will be issued to you and the lender or leasing company. If the car is yours, insurance companies sometimes pays repairers directly.
Where Do You Reside?
In some states in the United States Of America, there are strict laws that would determine whether you can get the claims directly from the insurance company. In Ohio for example, their law states that if the insurance company wants you to make use of a particular repair shop then the company must be certain of the work’s shop and make sure you do not pay for extra costs. So your insurer might want to make use of a particular repair shop and send the claims directly to them.
What Is The Extent Of The Damage?
It is up to you whether you want to live with the scratches or dent on your vehicle. However, one thing you need to be sure of is if the damage has not gone on to affect any important part of the vehicle or any of its safety features. For instance, federal laws mandates everyone to have bumpers on their vehicles so if the accident that you have been involved in destroyed your bumper then you know you have to get a new one.
Final Thoughts
We want you to know that you are free to carry out repairs on your own but the fact is you should be careful of what you are doing. You should be more careful if the damage goes beyond cosmetic damage because taking a look at today’s car, you can tell that they are very complicated. If you decide not to fix the damage, consider the fact that it could affect you when another claim comes up.
It would be difficult for other insurance claims to cover up for the same area that has suffered damage before. Failing to repair damages that your vehicle must have suffered during an accident is capable of diminishing the value of your vehicle.
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