Helpful Information

FAQs From the Kuni Collision Center Team :

The FAQs listed below are a quick starting point

There is a lot of ground we could cover, regarding collision repair, insurance, rental cars, timeline of repairs etc. This short list will at least get you started in the right direction:

Take Accident Notes If Possible

Many times, when involved in a collision, we feel panicked, disoriented and confused.

That’s normal except for those blessed few who are almost never shaken out of their cool, calm and collected way of life. For the rest of us, there is the frantic moments of trying to assess what just happened.

More than likely, the police will have been called by the 911 operator, or are already underway to you having been called by a passerby or someone witnessing the scene. What is important is that you find out if you or anyone else involved in the accident is hurt.

But then – and only then, is it time to gather as many facts as possible about the accident and get them either written down, or committed to memory.

Often, much later when the report gets written up and produced at the police station, the memory of that moment is very blurred, hazy, or missing lare important pieces of information.

“Where was the other vehicle coming from?”, “Where were you headed? In which direction?”, “What were the street names, etc.”?

And that is why it makes good sense to try and write down or collect as much information as possible for
1) the police, 2) the insurance agent, and 3) yourself for later referral notes.

Another good tip is to have a cheap throw away camera in the glove box.

Tow Trucks And Repair Shops

How do I know it is a reputable shop?

It may all start with a Tow Truck – the one that somehow showed up by accident, (pun intended), or you may have called them. Either way, you need to be careful about where you get your vehicle towed to.

As with finding a good plumber or a mechanic, the reputation of the body shop is probably one of the more important factors to consider. To start with, you should always ask for references from your insurance company. They usually will not deal with inferior shops or service providers because they have a vested interest in the vehicles being repaired properly.

Another thing you can do is to ask the mechanic who usually works on your car – if he has been around the area awhile you can bet that he knows who the best body shops are and which ones to avoid.

A good reference is worth its weight in gold and may save you a lot of headaches. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau about a particular shop.

You also want to be able to view their work. If they are unwilling to show you before and after photos and even let you see jobs they are currently working on, you might be better off just walking away. Any reputable body shop will be more than happy to show you the quality of their work. And Kuni Collision Center does allow such inspections.

Another thing that you definitely want to look for from a quality body shop is a guarantee. A good shop will always stand behind the repairs they have done and will usually give some kind of warranty on paint, parts, and labor.

Ask specifically what their policy is regarding guarantees and what they will do for you if you are not happy with the quality of the work that they have.

How Long Will It Take?

A question we get all the time…

Most insurance companies take the labor hours divided by a set formula according to their company guidelines. Every insurance company we work with has a slightly different formula but the typical breakdown is an average of a 5 hour work day.

So if the agent’s repair estimate calls for 45 hours total labor, you can divide 45 by 5 to arrive at an estimated repair time of business days. At Kuni Collision Center, we will always work with you and your agent to get your vehicle back on the road in record time.

Although we try to work quickly to keep costs down, we also have to be extremely thorough in our work to ensure your safety and the quality of the job done.

Ordering parts from somewhere else will also affect the repair time spent on your vehicle.

Should you have concerns at any time during the process of repair and restoration, do not hesitate to call us for more information or to discuss your concerns.

Your trust in us is one of the more valuable assets our business has, and we intend to not only earn and keep your trust, but to beat all expectations in quality and professionalism, both during and after the restoration process.

Repair or Replacement

Will my car be repaired or replaced, and who decides?

After evaluating the damages to your vehicle, your insurance company has the option of repairing your vehicle, replacing your vehicle, or reimbursing you for the vehicle’s actual cash value (ACV). Actual cash value is the amount your vehicle would have sold for on the date of the accident.

After reviewing the extent of the damage to your vehicle, the insurance agent or company will decide whether to replace your vehicle or reimburse you for the ACV when the vehicle is too damaged and it is economically impractical to repairit.

A vehicle is considered economically impractical to repair, or a total loss, if the cost to repair the vehicle equals or exceeds the vehicle’s ACV on the date of the loss.

In many cases the insurance company will go ahead and total the vehicle if the appraised damages equal 80% of the vehicle’s ACV. This is often the case because, once repairs are underway, additional damages or “hidden damages” may be found which would render the vehicle a total loss by definition. This is sometimes referred to as a “constructive total” loss.

Rental Fees

Who pays for the rental car?

This is a tricky question, as policies vary widely. You will want to always check with your insurance company as to who is responsible for rental fees in any unexpected circumstances.

It is also a good idea to be informed about this BEFORE any accidents, as things have changed with the current economy, in regards to the price a rental car may cost you, or the number of days you may have available with your particular policy or insurance carrier.

Research, research, research!

Kuni Collision Center also has an on site representative for: