What To Do For Repairs Of Your Vehicle.

If your vehicle is a "total loss", then skip this paragraph (because it does not apply to you).  But, if your vehicle will be repaired, then take the "repair estimate" that the "appraiser" gave you (and your vehicle) to any repair shop that you want do to the repair work.  If the repair shop agrees to do the repair work (and it will), then the repair shop will (must) do all of the work listed on the "repair estimate" for the amount of money that the insurance company indicates that it will pay for all of the work listed on the "repair estimate".  You are not required to go to three repair shops and get three different estimates of the costs of the repairs like you were back in the old days.  You are also not required to take your vehicle to the repair shop that the insurance company tells you to go to (which does the work for the insurance company for less money than the insurance company is really obligated to pay for those repairs).  The insurance company is not obligated to pay for repairs of damage or mechanical trouble that was not actually caused by the accident.  Unless you actually prove that the damage or mechanical trouble was caused by the accident, the insurance company is not obligated to pay to repair it.  The insurance company does not have to prove that the damage or mechanical trouble was not actually caused by the accident to avoid paying for repairs.  But if, during the process of making the repairs, the people at the repair shop find additional vehicle damage or mechanical trouble that they believe was actually caused by the accident which was not originally written down on the "appraiser's" original "repair estimate," then the repair shop (not you) will ask the "appraiser" to come back to the repair shop, inspect your vehicle (again), and do a "supplemental" (second) estimate of any additional repair work that might be necessary.  If the "appraiser" agrees with the repair shop (that the original "repair estimate" was incomplete), then the "appraiser" will direct the insurance company to send a "supplemental" (second) check to the repair shop to pay for those additional repairs.  Because they receive all of the extra money that the insurance company pays for supplemental (extra) repairs, the people at the repair shop will carefully inspect every part of your vehicle in hopes of finding any undiscovered damage not written down on the original "repair estimate" in order to justify doing supplemental (extra) repairs (and getting supplemental (extra) repair money).  When it comes to repairs, you and the repair shop are on the same side.  You and the repair shop both want as much repair work done as possible.  The repair shop will deal direct with the insurance company on matters relating to their payment and on matters relating to any disputes about "supplemental" (extra) repairs.  You should stay out of the dealings between the repair shop and the insurance company.  You have nothing to gain by becoming involved in those matters.  You do not get any of the repair shop's money.  So, the money is not yours to argue about.  And the people at the repair shop are a lot better at getting "supplemental" (extra) repair work approved and paid for than you are.