The Claims Process and How it all Works (In Most Cases)
• Call your insurance company and report the claim.
• If your vehicle needs to be towed, call us, 301-567-2200 so we may arrange.
• Let them know you have chosen Fort Washington Auto Body, Inc. to repair your vehicle
• Need a rental, we have Enterprise Rent-A-Car here on site. We also offer courtesy shuttle to your home, work, metro, etc.
• Either they will assign an adjuster to inspect your vehicle or depending on insurer, they may send you directly to our shop for repair.
• If an adjuster inspects, they will provide you an estimate. The definitions below will help you understand the estimate. Once you have the estimate, bring the estimate and your vehicle to us, we will handle the rest.
• We will negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf to ensure a safe high quality repair in a timely fashion.
The whole process of an insurance claim can be overwhelming to say the least. Below you will find commonly used words and their definitions that may help you understand who is really on 1st!!!!! Also, if you would like ‘one on one’ personal attention, give us a call, we are here to help you make the whole process stress FREE. Ask for Laura.
Definitions:
Blending – This is a refinishing technique that assists us in getting a perfect color match.
OEM Parts – Which stands for Original Equipment Manufactured Parts.” Meaning, if your vehicle is a Toyota, that the parts are Genuine Toyota.
A/M Parts – Which stands for Aftermarket Parts. These are also sometimes known as QRP, which means Quality Replacement Part. These are manufactured by other companies than the original manufacturer. Sometimes these parts are acceptable and sometimes they are not. It comes down to the quality of the part. We personally quality control every part, A/M, LKQ, or OEM. If it does not pass our high standards, we DO NOT USE it and the insurance company would pay for the new part.
LKQ – Which stands for Like Kind and Quality, which means a recycled (used) part. These parts are recycled from other cars may have damage but still has good remaining parts. These are thoroughly inspected and are generally no problem.
Frame Vs. Unibody – Most vehicle today do not have a frame, most have Unibody. One is not better than the other. Most trucks have frames, most cars are unibody. Both structures are equally safely repairable.
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