How long does it take to repair your car after an accident?

Car repairs after a vehicle is in an auto accident can take from a few days to a few months, depending on the extent of the damage. The Los Angeles car accident attorneys at Ellis Law Corporation have helped hundreds of car owners to get their cars repaired properly and as quickly as is possible, and to recover full reimbursements from insurance companies to cover the costs of those repairs. The amount of time it takes to repair a car is only one of several issues that a car owner will need to address after an accident. 

The sooner you report the accident, the sooner your repairs will begin 

Call your insurance company as soon as you can after you are in an auto accident. Your insurer will then assess the damage to your car and assign a claims adjuster to determine the reimbursement that you are entitled to receive. If your car suffered mechanical damage, the adjuster might need a few days to complete his or her analysis because the car might need to be disassembled for the adjuster to determine the full extent of damages. 

Keep in mind that California is a tort claim state

Because California is a tort state, the party that is at fault for the accident and the at-fault party’s insurer will be responsible to pay for damages and injuries. Regardless, a driver should promptly call his or her own insurers to conduct an analysis of an accident while the evidence is still fresh. The driver’s own insurance can provide reimbursement for repairs and can then pursue the other driver/driver’s insurer to recover that reimbursement.     

Schedule an appointment with an authorized repair shop to handle the repairs

Your insurance company can provide a list of approved or recommended repair shops to fix your car. The technicians at that shop will be able to provide an estimate of how long repairs will take. They may need extra time to procure replacement parts, particularly if your car is older or was manufactured outside of the United States.    

Understand the difference between generic and brand name parts

Insurers might require a repair shop to use generic, original equipment manufacturer (OEM), or recycled parts to repair your car. If you request brand name replacement parts, the insurance company will probably require you to pay the cost difference between a brand name part and the parts that they authorize or recommend. It may also take more time for the repair shop to procure original parts. Review your insurance coverage for your options on the kind of parts that can be used to repair your car or, if the policy is not clear to you, speak with one of our experienced Los Angeles personal injury lawyers who can review and explain the policy to you. 

Be realistic about how long repairs will take

The car collision repair industry balances cost, quality, and time. If you want your repairs done quickly, for example, those repairs will either be more costly or they will be done with reduced quality. Quality repairs that maintain the value of your car will require a certain minimum amount of time.  Give your repair shop the time it needs to complete those repairs. On the other hand, if your shop repeatedly extends the time it needs and delays getting your car back to you, you should consider contacting your insurance company or a car accident attorney who can negotiate with the repair shop on your behalf.  

Is your car repairable, or is it totaled? 

Even after they have been repaired, cars that have experienced significant damage will typically have a lower value on resale or at trade-in. If a car’s physical damages cost more than the current value of the car when the accident happened, you might be in a better position if your insurance company agrees that the car is a total loss. Alternately, you might want to repair and retain the car when your insurance company might prefer to consider it a total loss. In either case, you and the insurer will be in adversarial positions as to the amount of reimbursement that you are entitled to receive. An experienced car accident lawyer is your best advocate under these circumstances. 

Call the Ellis Law Corporation today

Andy Ellis, a personal injury attorney who is the namesake of the Ellis Law Corporation, has negotiated with insurance companies and repair shops on behalf of hundreds of car owners who want to get accident repairs on their cars completed as quickly as is possible. The Los Angeles car accident lawyers on his team also represent car accident victims to recover the maximum damages awards that are available when they have suffered injuries and incurred medical expenses following a car accident. Call us or see our website for more information about how long it will take to repair your car after you have had a car accident in California. You can also call us at any time to schedule an appointment with one of our Los Angeles car accident attorneys, who will review your case for free.