Know Your Rights
Dealing with the stress of a collision is hard enough without trying to figure out how your accident insurance works. Here are some answers to frequently-asked questions about insurance policies.
Will the insurance company guarantee your work?
We guarantee our own work, but the insurance company does not have the legal right to guarantee a third party's work.
Who pays for repairs?
It depends on the circumstances. If you were at fault, but have comprehensive or collision insurance, the insurance company would pay the costs minus your deductible. If the other party was at fault, their insurance company should pay.
Do I have to accept the insurance company's appraisal of damage?
No. Check the "Appraisal Clause" in your policy if you have differences with their appraisal. It allows you and the insurance company to gather an opinion from an appraiser you both agree upon, or a third-party "Umpire" if you cannot agree.
Do I have the right to a rental car?
If you have purchased rental car coverage and were not responsible for the accident, you may seek reimbursement from the insurance company or, if another driver was responsible for the accident, their insurance company.
If you do not have rental car coverage and were responsible for the accident, you have no grounds to ask for reimbursement. If the other driver was liable, you can generally seek reimbursement from their insurance company.
Want more information on your rights? To make an appointment, call us at 727-343-4242 or make an appointment online!
what our customers say
Last week I found out the hard way that my go-to mechanic retired and closed up his shop. I tried calling around different people I know for shop recommendations, but no one was answering the phone . I hopped on Yelp and Affordable Auto & Truck Repair this morning and stopped in shortly thereafter. Mike was super helpful and was able to text me the things I needed done to my car because I was in and out of meetings all day and didn't know when I would be able to be on the phone. Once we agreed on the work that I was going to get done, he promptly turned it around and I picked up my car before they closed up today. One point to know is that I already had a part purchased from the store so I definitely think that helped with timing. I had my power steering pump and serpentine belt on my 2006 Ford Focus replaced for $256. I'm definitely going to make this my new auto repair shop of record. Hopefully I don't need much more work done, but you never know what comes up!
