Being involved in an automotive accident can be a very traumatic experience. As the dust settles, you'll naturally be worried about injuries first and foremost, to you and your passengers and to others involved. Your mind is then likely to switch to thoughts of liability and whether you were at fault or not. Finally, however, you will begin to wonder whether your car can be fixed. What do you need to consider, here?
Cars Designed to Fall Apart?
The way that manufacturers build cars these days can be a double-edged sword in this type of situation. The car makers are looking to build a vehicle that's relatively lightweight, so that it returns good fuel mileage, but also that is safe when it gets involved in a collision. This means that there are parts of the car that are designed to give in rather than cause resistance to any accident energy. They will automatically crumple and take away some of the forces that would otherwise have been passed on to the passengers. All of this means that you may be safer in the event of a wreck, but on the other hand the vehicle is going to sustain more damage.
Technology and Skill
While the big manufacturers are working away on this type of technology, repair shops have their own developments. It's not necessarily the case that your vehicle is going to be classified as a total write off. Machines are now available that can help to straighten out even those that are badly affected. Hydraulic powers and skilled technicians can sometimes pull your car's frame back into its proper place. After this is done, lasers are now being used to make sure that the specification is completely normal, as originally intended by the manufacturer.
Selective Replacement
There's even more good news. Even if a particular part of the vehicle is damaged beyond repair, it's now possible to cut this out and replace it with special welding tools and a skilled technician involved. The emphasis here is definitely on skill, however, in the final analysis.
Figuring out Your Next Move
Much is going to depend on the view of the insurance company. They do take into account the high levels of skill and the new equipment available before determining whether the vehicle has to be classified as a total loss. It's important, therefore, to work closely with the insurance assessor and a skilled car repair shop to see where you can go now.
Share10 March 2017
I rely a lot of my car as I am a paraplegic. I can only drive a car that has specially modified with wheel controls, so it's very important that I get my car serviced by a company that knows what it is doing. I also need my car to be serviced quickly as I am very limited in how much I can get around without it. This blog has some tips on how to find a car servicing company that will suit you if driving a disability-modified car. I hope it will be useful to other people with disabilities who rely on their cars as much as me.
