Who Pays For My Car Repairs?

The driver that causes the accident is legally responsible to pay for the repairs to your vehicle or if the vehicle is a total loss they are responsible to pay the fair market value of your vehicle.  Assuming that the “at fault” driver has insurance, this payment is typically made through their insurance carrier.  However, the insurance carrier has the right to do a reasonable investigation into who was actually at-fault for the accident before agreeing to pay for the damage to your vehicle.  Their investigation will likely include obtaining statements from the parties and witnesses involved in the accident.  While we have some ways to successfully expedite this investigative process, it is not uncommon for this investigation to delay getting your car fixed or paid for in the event it was a total loss.

If you have comprehensive collision coverage under your own auto insurance policy, it is often much easier to pursue your vehicle repairs or total loss value with your own auto insurance company because your insurance carrier will not be concerned with whose fault the accident was.  You will also typically get your deductible refunded back to you within a few weeks once both insurance carriers find the other driver to be at-fault for the accident.