By Jim Grey

Any traffic accident involving your vehicle is a very upsetting experience, even if you and your passengers are fortunate enough to escape injury. In addition to emotional stress, there is the inconvenience of having to get your vehicle repaired.

Normally this involves at least one body shop and one insurance company, although you may end up dealing with several of each before the matter is finally resolved.

In seeking repairs, conflicting opinions often arise regarding what is needed to fix the car, what it will ultimately cost and what the insurance will or will not cover.

It helps to remember that the body shop and insurance company have their own agendas, and for the layman, it can be hard to discern who is giving the best advice. Often, the vehicle owner simply follows the path of least resistance - which may be to his or her detriment.

Here are 11 things that you should know about auto body repairs. You might want to tear this list out and tuck it away for future reference should you be involved in an accident and need the straight story. Keeping it with your registration and insurance papers makes it easy to locate.

1. After an accident, never drive a vehicle that could be unsafe for you or others due to accident damages.
2. If you are like most people, your personal vehicle is the second largest investment you will make, after your home. Always preserve your vehicle’s value, and your safety, by insisting upon professional, high-quality body repairs.
3. Your insurance company may ask you to take your damaged car to their drive-in claims center before it is repaired. You may do this if you wish, but you can also take the car to a body shop of your choice and ask that the insurance company inspect it there.
4. There is no law that requires you to get more than one estimate or appraisal.
5. You have the right to use the body shop of your choice. Your insurance company may offer suggestions, but it cannot require you to go to a particular shop.
6. Differences in repair estimates are common. A lower estimate may not include all of the necessary parts or labor operations. If you are unsure why one estimate is higher or lower than another, ask the body shop that gave you the estimate to explain the charges.
7. Often, the insurance company will want to use replacement parts as opposed to original equipment (OEM). You have the right to insist on OEM parts, if that is your desire. Generally, there is little or no difference between the two except that OEM parts are more expensive.
8. Choose a body shop that has up-to-date equipment and I-CAR and/or ASE certified technicians.
9. Ask the body shop about its warranty coverage on repairs made.
10. Ask the body shop personnel if they are willing to help negotiate your claim with the insurance company.
11. Once repairs are under way, it is not unusual for the body shop to discover hidden damage. If the body shop calls to inform you of more damage, immediately get your insurance company involved again. They have experience with this.

Body shops that participate in the AAA Approved Auto Repair (AAR) program have met stringent AAA standards and are equipped to restore your vehicle to its pre-accident condition.

It you need the services of a body shop, you can be confident that AAA approved body shop technicians have the training, experience and the commitment to customer satisfaction to provide you with excellent service.