So You’ve Been in an Accident. What Now?

A few things to keep in mind about your insurance coverage

Here at Parkville Auto Body, we’ve been servicing the Bensenville and Franklin Park communities for over 38 years. As a family-owned business, we take pride in repairing vehicles safely so that you and your loved ones feel secure after being involved in a collision. It is our goal to make your collision repair experience as seamless as possible. You’ve been inconvenienced and we want to get you back on the road again.

Statistics have shown that the average American gets into a car accident that requires body shop service only once in seven years. So when it happens to you, chances are you’ll rely heavily on others – primarily your insurance company – for advice and guidance. With that in mind, here are three things we at Parkville think you should consider in the event of an accident.  

1) You can have your vehicle repaired at any auto body shop you choose. A common misconception is that you, the customer, must go to an insurance-approved auto body shop for your repairs. This simply is not true. The fact is, you have the right to have your vehicle repaired anywhere you choose.  You’re in the driver’s seat, not the insurance company.

2) Your insurance policy may only cover certain types of replacement parts. There are three main types of parts used in vehicle repair: OEM (original equipment manufacturer), LKQ (used parts of OEM quality), and aftermarket (third-party manufacturer of varying quality). Which type is used in any given repair often depends on the terms of the insurance company.

3) Total loss and gap insurance. When damage to a leased or financed vehicle is extensive enough to be declared a total loss, the amount of money still owed on the lease or loan may be more than what the insurance company pays out. Which is why we recommend our customers carry a gap insurance policy, which will pay the remainder of the loan or lease in the event of a total loss.

We’ll be covering each of these topics in-depth in future posts, so check back in the weeks to come. In the meantime, if you have any questions or inquiries about auto insurance coverage or auto body repairs in general, feel free to call us at (630) 860-0010 or email us at info@parkvilleautobody.com. We hope to hear from you soon!