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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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The police department that responded to the accident scene called a tow truck company to remove my vehicle. What should I do now?
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The best thing to do is get a business card from the tow company while at the accident scene. If during all that excitementyou forget to get one, contact the police department handling the investigation. They will be able to provide you with the tow company name. Once you have the name, call them and notify them that you already have a repair facility that will be doing the repairs to your vehicle. BE PREPARED! The tow company may try to convince you to leave your vehicle at their facility to be repaired. Remember, it's your car and your choice where it gets repaired! Once you have notified the tow company, arrange to have the vehicle removed from the tow company lot and taken to Hal's Auto Body. We at Hal's can arrange to pick up your vehicle. Just give us a call with the location of the vehicle, and we will take care of things from there. If the company that towed the vehicle tells you that there are charges due them before they will release the vehicle, just tell them that you will arrange payment with us.
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Who pays for my rental car?
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It depends on the circumstances and the insurance company involved. Many insurance companies have direct bill arrangements set up with many car rental companies. Ask the insurance company representative if they have such an arrangement and with whom. If the insurance company does not accept direct billing from the rental company, you may have to pay the bill yourself and then submit it to the rental company for reimbursement. Do not assume you are entitled to a rental vehicle! Always check with the insurance company to see if you are entitled to a rental.
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Should I pursue my claim through my insurance coverage or the other parties insurance policy?
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Which insurance company you use depends on who was at fault. Which ever policy you use, there are pros and cons.
If you pursue the claim through your own insurance policy, you will be dealing with a company that you are paying an insurance premium too. This usually translates into better customer service for you because your insurance company wants you to be satisfied and to continue those premium payments to them and not the competition. The down side to using your own insurance policy is that you will have to pay your deductible. This applies whether you were at fauld or not unless your company has waived your deductible. The other negative is that you may not get reimbursed for rental coverage if you do rent a vehicle. You should check with your agent and make sure you have rental coverage as a rider to your automotive policy.
If you pursue the claim through the other parties insurance company, things change slightly. You will be entitled to a rental vehicle at the expense of the insurance company. You may have to pay the rental bill yourself and then submit the bill to the insurance company for reimbursement. You will not have to pay any deductible if you pursue the claim through the other persons policy and the insurance company has assumed complete liability, but you may have to sacrifice service for this convenience.
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The insurance company gave me an estimate along with a check for the repairs. What should I do now?
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The first thing to do is contact Hal's Garage & Auto Body and let us know exactly what you received. We will need to make a copy of the repair estimate so we can make sure that the insurance company has compensated you for everything that is needed to restore your vehicle to pre-accident condition. At that point in time, we should also schedule your vehicle for repairs. Keep in mind that we at Hal's may need some time to order parts. You should also review the check and see who it is made payable to. If the check is made payable to any person or company other than yourself, you should contact that company and inquire as to their procedures to obtain their endorsement on the check.
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Who authorizes the repairs to my vehicle?
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Only the vehicle owner can authorize the repairs that are going to be made to any vehicle. The insurance companies obligation is to restore the vehicle owner back to pre-accident condition. They have no authority to say what will or will not be done to your vehicle. It's your car, you make the decisions that are best for you!
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