Fender benders are one of the more common types of accidents and can cause more damage than you may realize. If your vehicle was recently damaged during a fender bender, you need to work with your insurance provider to fix up your vehicle.

Find an Auto Repair Shop

In the United States, your insurance company cannot require you to go to a particular repair shop. They can let you know about repair shops they have worked with in the past or that they know in the area; however, the choice of what repair shop you go to is up to you.

Spend a little time asking around for recommendations, reading reviews, and talking to auto body shops in the area to figure out one that you want to work with.

Be Careful About Parts

Remember that you also have final say in how your vehicle is fixed up, including the type of parts that are used to fix up your vehicle. Let the auto body shop know if you want to use original parts to fix up your vehicle, or if you are okay with aftermarket parts. Make sure that your insurance company will cover the type of parts that you want to purchase for your vehicle.

Always Check the Paint

Third, you need to make sure that you always check the paint color after your vehicle has been worked on. Matching auto body paint colors is a very difficult and complex task, that doesn't always produce perfect results. A skilled auto body shop will be able to blend and shade the new color with the old color to create a seamless look. You shouldn't be able to just glance at your vehicle and tell that a part of it has been painted.

Check for Mechanical Damage

Finally, you want to check for mechanical damage as well. When fixing up a vehicle, one of the first things that people pay attention to is often the auto body damage. As a matter of fact, it is often best to fix the auto body damage first. However, once the auto body damage has been addressed, it is vitally important that the mechanics of your vehicle are examined as well. You want to make sure that all mechanical damage is fixed on your vehicle before you take it out on the road.

When your vehicle is damaged in a fender bender, you need to find an auto shop to work with and let them know what kind of parts you want used to fix up your vehicle. You need to make sure that you check the paint on any area that is repainted to make sure that it lines up correctly and looks good. Finally, make sure all mechanical issues are fixed before you reclaim your vehicle. For more information, contact companies like Sam's Automotive Reconditioning Center.