How Do Car Insurance Companies Choose Selected Body Shops for Repairs?

People often discuss the selected body shops that car insurance companies use for repairs as being a shady or unprofessional business practice. While a car insurance company can not tell you that you have to use a specific body shop, they can make recommendations and they have to be prepared to back those recommendations. You must understand that car insurance companies realize their reputation is at stake when they recommend these shops and that much thought and preparation is given to which shops are chosen.

Before we start discussing what goes in to approving a shop for a car insurance company we will discuss the rights you have according to the state you are in. Regardless of which state you live in or have an car accident in you have the right to choose your repair shop without being forced into one. In fact, Colorado, Texas and California all require insurance companies to send you a letter during the claims process explaining this right to you. If they do not they could be subject to fines by the state's Department of Insurance.

There is a fine line between a company recommending a body shop and forcing you to use a certain body shop. A company can recommend and give you reasons why you should use a particular body shop, but should not try to "steer" you in the direction of any one shop. If and when you are sure of where you want to go and it is not on the list of approved shops all you have to do is be clear that your decision is made and move on.

Now, the way these shops are approved is quite intense and there are reasons why, the car insurance company knows their reputation is on the line. Here are a few requirements that are likely when a shop is trying to be approved.

1. Most car insurance companies will require that the body shop have only the most up to date equipment available on the market. This will allow them to speak of the shop as top of the line.
2. Car insurance companies will require that the body shop move at a good pace and have parts on hand to fix most common damage reports. Insurance companies don't want to pay extra for claims where the vehicle just sits in a repair shop for weeks at a time.
3. The car insurance company will likely require the use of parts that are in line with codes for quality. This is to insure that your brand new vehicle is not fitted with faulty or poor quality materials.

These are just a few of the requirements a car insurance company will make of a body shop. Remember, you have the right to say no and go wherever you want.