No matter how careful we are behind the wheel, most of us will find ourselves involved in a car collision at some point or another. Thankfully, most car body repair costs of a vehicle incident will be covered by insurance.

However, claiming car body repair on insurance is not always the best option, as you may find yourself more out of pocket than if you had just settled the costs yourself.

Let your insurer know

Whether you plan on claiming through your insurer or not, informing them of the incident is vital. When contacting your insurer, makes sure to state that you are not at present making a claim.

Check the terms and conditions

Having informed your insurer of the incident, the next step to take is to read through the terms and conditions of your insurance policy. Checking for such things as the deadline for claiming will ensure you know all the facts before making a decision.

If you were at fault for the collision and only have third party coverage, then you will need to pay for any damage to your vehicle yourself regardless of your insurance.

Excess

When checking the terms and conditions of your policy, one of the most important points you will want to check is the excess. The excess is the amount a claimant must pay before their insurer will cover their costs and can be a deciding factor when it comes to insurance claims.

Benefits

As part of your policy, your insurer may also offer added benefits – this can include things like a replacement car if your vehicle needs to go into a garage for repairs. Considering such added benefits can help make decisions about insurance claims a little easier, as costs, like car hire, are covered by the insurer.

Protect your no-claims bonus

Insurance claims also typically see your premiums increase as well as losing your no-claims bonus. If you have built a no-claims bonus up over several years, then making a claim will affect that and see years’ worth of carefully saved insurance premiums lost.

Increased premiums

Claiming on your insurance will also see your premiums increase. So, when you do make a claim, you should also factor in the increased cost of any further claims you may have to make. Claiming on insurance now for a minor job, such as scratch repairs, may you see you paying much more for extensive damage at a later date.

Claiming car body repairs on insurance: final thoughts

If you require professional car body repair services, get in touch with Southend SMART Repairs today.

We offer a full range of services, including bumper repairs, car dent repairs and scratch repairs from our body shop in Southend.

Visit our location at Unit 20, Farriers Way, Southend, SS2 5RY or call us on 01702 612244 or 07832 118407 and a member of our team will help.