Your Safety Comes First
Our commitment is to provide you with the safest, highest-quality repair possible by following manufacturer repair procedures and industry best practices. Before having your vehicle repaired, it’s important to understand aspects of the claims and repair process.
Modern Repairs Require Modern Standards
Modern vehicles contain advanced safety systems, specialized materials, and repair procedures that are critical to maintaining the safety, performance, and value of your vehicle. While we strive to work cooperatively with all insurance companies, there are times when an insurance carrier may dispute necessary repairs, OEM parts, calibrations, diagnostic procedures, or other operations that we believe are required to properly restore your vehicle.
How Insurance Disputes Can Happen
What may look like a simple repair on the surface can involve hidden structural damage, sensor calibration, scanning, or specific parts and procedures required by the manufacturer.
When disagreements about parts and procedures arise with your insurance provider, they’re usually about what is necessary to return the vehicle to its pre-accident condition safely and properly. Our responsibility is to advocate for the repair standards we believe are needed — not simply the cheapest or fastest options that’s get your vehicle back on the road quickest. That’s because we work for you, not the insurance company.
Understanding Your Right To Appraisal (RTA)
An RTA may sound scary, but it’s actually your contractual right as an insurance customer (although they may try to convince you otherwise).
The Right to Appraisal is a process that allows an independent review of the disputed repair costs. It is not a lawsuit, and it does not affect your insurance coverage. Instead, it provides a way to resolve disagreements over the value of a claim by bringing in qualified professionals to evaluate the repairs.
In many cases, appraisal helps move the repair process forward while ensuring that important safety and manufacturer-recommended procedures receive proper consideration. At Image Auto Body, we may recommend exercising your Right to Appraisal when we believe it is necessary to protect your interests and help ensure your vehicle is repaired safely and correctly.
Third-party Claims Can Be Trickier
If you are pursuing a claim through another party’s insurance company (commonly referred to as a “third-party” or “claimant” claim), additional challenges may arise.
Because you don’t have a direct contract with that insurance carrier, they may dispute certain repair procedures, OEM parts, calibrations, or other operations needed to properly restore your vehicle.
Depending on your coverage, you may have the option to file the claim through your own insurance company and allow them to pursue reimbursement from the at-fault party’s insurer. This can sometimes provide additional protections, faster claim resolution, and access to options such as the Right to Appraisal if a repair dispute occurs.
Every claim is different, but our team can help you understand your options and explain the potential advantages of each approach. Regardless of how your claim is handled, we will advocate for proper repairs and keep you informed throughout the process.
Our Commitment To You
Your safety as well as your car’s driveability and future value are geniuinely important to us, and so is proper education on these topics. Our responsibility is to ensure that your vehicle is repaired safely, properly, and in accordance with accepted repair standards and manufacturer recommendations. We value integrity here at Image Auto Body and will always communicate with our customers transparently.