The screeching of tires, the crumpling of bodywork and the inevitable silence afterwards are the things you hear from a car crash.
They are often sounds you cannot replicate and they stay with you forever. It can be a traumatic experience to be involved in a car crash and so, there are plenty of ways you can receive help afterwards.
However, is it possible that you can still save money from a bad car crash? That’s what you’re going to be thinking if you’re financially minded because car crash repairs and the subsequent legal issues are very expensive.
A whole lot has to be changed or brought back to how it once was including your car and your health.
Far too often people without any knowledge of cars will just take the word of anyone and pay out far too much than they needed to, to get the repairs done.
Here are some ways you can limit expenditure and get back to normal with a boost of cash.
It’s all about the body
Bodywork is one of the simplest parts of a car. Essentially, it’s the outer shell of the car that takes a lot of the brunt from a car crash.
The reason why some bodywork is expensive is because of the brand and model.
A more curvy car takes more time to build and the materials used for lightweight and high strength are also higher up on the sheet of expenses. Let’s start off with the more simpler part of the bodywork, the windshield.
- The windshield is one of the easiest things to replace and also costs the least. A simple chip could be as little as $50, but a total replacement and fitting can be close to $1,000 depending on the car. The average is around $255 but if you buy a lesser quality windshield that is just as strong but less wind resistant, you could cut this price down by as much as 50%.
- Door panel dents are perhaps the most common sight behind dented bumpers. Door panels shouldn’t cost that much because they are usually just flattened sheet metal. PDR or rather paintless dent repair is a small section of the car repair industry. They simply sheer off the paint and using a suction tool, pull the dent out of the panel. This can cost as little as $150. Don’t go for a door replacement until you have know your local PDR price range.
- A smashed bumper should be easy to replace right? Well, it’s not just the bumper itself but the curved metal around it. This can be a simple fix by actually replacing the bumper and keeping the metal bodywork if that has not been affected. However where the really expensive bodywork parts are on a car, are the front and rear. This is because of the curves of the car. The general price can be from $300 to $800 for a repair and replacement service.
Call the manufacturer
it’s 2019 and we’re finally seeing the car manufacturers update their repair schemes.
It used to be that when you bought a car if you bought an insurance plan with it that the manufacturer wanted you to have, you would get it cheaper.
The insurance companies and the manufacturer worked out a deal that works for everybody. However, Volvo has just rolled out with something new.
They have just launched a post-accident guidance scheme which they hope will help drivers of their cars, learn what they need to do to get their car fixed.
The Volvo Car Accident Advisor serves as a go-to mobile app which will take the driver step by step through an emergency checklist.
They will be shown a list of repair services they can call up, advised on what to do regarding the safety of their person and go through a procedure to make their car safe.
How could this save money? Well for one they would offer a competitive service for car repair.
They can also check what parts are damaged using the computer chip in the car and sending information to your phone from it.
This will give you an accurate picture of what you need to repair instead of aimlessly wandering around and paying far too much to mechanics.
Although this has just been rolled out, you should check if your car manufacturer has their own smartphone app you can use to know what exactly needs repairing.
Doing a general examination at a local garage can cost up to around $200 or more.
The disappearance of wages
Car accidents are very financially troubling for a multitude of reasons but the two that you can most look out for will be your lost wages and healthcare costs.
If the car is totalled that will also be a very big loss but if you can no longer go to work and you’re losing thousands of dollars every single month for a long time, your bank account will be very sore.
However, if you have a case whereby you know it wasn’t your fault, you know the cameras have picked it all up and on top of that you have witnesses, then call a car accident attorney.
They can make a case for lost income as well as for physical pain. Who knows you might need surgeries, physical therapy and maybe pain relief in the form of medicine.
Emotional trauma is also something the attorney will look as if you’re not physically hurt you might still be suffering from mental health concerns.
The aim will be to get back all that lost income and make sure you’re still able to pay the bills and live your life normally like you would before the accident.
After the dust settles from a car crash, the financially savvy will begin to see where all the holes are and start plugging them. Lost income due to no longer having a functioning car should be a high priority. You can also see if the bodywork you need can be done cheaper by a paintless dent repair service.