Who Should You Trust? Your Doctor… or… Your Insurer?

On the surface, the question may sound ridiculous.  That’s probably because it is. But let’s play it out a little. You (hopefully do not) have a medical condition that requires a surgical procedure to get you back to optimal health.

Who will you consult to determine the best course of treatment and to perform the needed procedure?

Will you go to a board-certified surgeon with 30+ years of training and experience in the area of your specific surgery?  Or, will you call the hourly employee that your insurance carrier hired 6 months ago and ask how he or she would go about cutting into your body to repair or remove the ailing organ? Who would and should you trust?

Unless you genuinely have a death wish, it’s more likely that you will actually speak to – and TRUST – the opinion and specific skill set of the DOCTOR whose sole job is to perform THIS SURGERY.

However; once you’ve decided to trust the doctor – how do you know that you’ve put your trust in the RIGHT ONE?  Is one doctor the same as any other?  Are you safe just to know that the doctor has a degree and is given permission to operate on you?  Would you choose the doctor who has successfully performed the specific surgery hundreds of times or take advice from the one who has never performed the procedure, and who has been hired by your insurer and taught to recommend the least expensive procedure to save the insurer money?  How do you know who to REALLY trust…with your life?

In this day and age, it simply makes good sense for one to do their due diligence and finding out who is the best qualified to handle your specific medical condition. And… while this scenario of doctors and healthcare insurers hits very close to home, one can also see the parallels to the situation when one is involved in an auto collision and need the repair of today’s highly sophisticated and technical automobiles.

Should, God forbid, you get into an accident… the first thing most people do is to call their auto insurer, and when you do, you are immediately assigned to one of their claim adjusters.

You then bring your car to a body shop that, after careful inspection, prepares a comprehensive repair plan for you, only to discover that the insurance adjuster disagrees with the repair plan, and denies payment for the shop’s plan and instead renders their own. So, the question again is: who should you trust?

In essence, it’s the very same question as posed above.  The body shop’s sole business is to repair vehicles just like yours.  Some repairers have made significant investment in years of ongoing training and acquisition of the required equipment and they are up to date with the ever-changing standards put out by the vehicle manufacturers to provide the absolute RIGHT REPAIR for your vehicle.  The insurance adjuster may have weeks, months… maybe even years – of sitting behind a desk and authorizing or denying payments with no actual hands-on experience in performing repairs. Very few have ever had to straighten a frame, replace a welded-on panel or refinish a vehicle.

A Wise Man Once Said: “Never Take Advice on How to Collect Money From Those That Owe it to You!”

It’s reasonable to assume that you would put your trust in the expert – the body shop – over the company whose sole job is to PAY for the repair. But it may not be as simple as that. You may not be aware of the fact that MANY of the body shops out there have entered into agreements whereas they have actually PARTNERED with insurance companies!

In such instances, the repairer and insurer work together to reduce claims costs which often results in cutting corners and the quality of repair, use of junk-yard and/or non-original equipment manufacturer (Non-OEM) parts. The insurer profits from the savings and the participating repairers receive direct referrals from the insurer whereas they both benefit…all too often at the vehicle owner’s risk and expense.

Many shops, unfortunately, do not research current repair procedures from the vehicle’s original manufacturer. At the same time, they may not have the proper tools to complete your repair. All at the expense of the CORRECT REPAIR of your vehicle which should restore its safety, performance, appearance and value to the very best of reasonable human abilities!

So, once again, who should you trust?

How do you know who to go with? Just as in the example above – you should do your due diligence, and should the need arise; find a body shop that has no partnerships with the insurance companies. You should research the shop and the quality of their service and repair quality. Read on-line reviews about other people’s experiences. Interview your selected repairers and ask if the shop adheres to current manufacturers’ procedures each and every time. All of this information is available either online or by way of a single phone call to the shop itself. You can even ask to take a tour of the shop. Once you make that all important decision, only then should you ask for an estimate of repair.

Whether looking for the right doctor or the right body shop… doesn’t it make sense to go with the best? Isn’t it reasonable to want to bring your situation to the ones who are going to DO THE JOB – and do it right…the first time!?

Our advice is simple: Take your car to a repairer of YOUR CHOICE, put your trust in the people who care about you and who are committed to you and your family’s safety and economic wellbeing by fixing your car CORRECTLY, and leave the PAYMENT to the people who owe you to pay for it.

Remember: Cheaper is Never Better and Better is Never Cheaper!

Want to know more, My Body Shop welcomes your call or visit!