Submitting a car insurance claim can be a very stressful experience. You've probably just been in an accident, which is stressful enough, and now you are worrying about getting everything right so that your claim is approved and you can get back to your normal life. While nothing can make the stress of a claim disappear entirely, insurance companies, especially those offering cheap auto insurance, have made this a much smoother and easier process than it used to be.
Of course, the first thing to do is make sure everyone is safe, and if any medical attention is needed, that this is taken care of immediately. Then, take a few minutes to breathe deeply and put things in perspective. You are alive, the professionals are on their way, and this is a manageable. Because this is a difficult time, it will help to have a list of things to do in your wallet, purse, or glove compartment.
* Get information about every car that stops at the scene of the incident. That includes make, model and license plate. Even if they weren't involved in the accident, get this information; they could be valuable witnesses.
* Get information from each driver involved in the accident, including their name, address, phone number, and the information from their insurance card. This includes the insurance company, their policy number, the dates that the policy is valid, and any other details listed on the card.
* Ask any witness to the event to give you their name, address, and phone number. Also, try to get a brief account from each of them. These can be very helpful later on when the insurance company assembles their account of what happened.
* You need to also write out your own account of what happened. Put down the date, approximate time, and describe the location as best you can. Include such details as your lane position, whether there was construction, bad weather, or other problems on the road, and so on. Try to list all of the events leading up to the accident as completely as possible, as well as describing the accident itself and what occurred afterward.
* If you have a camera available, take as many pictures of your car and the incident scene as possible. Take pictures of damage to any vehicle, skid marks, obstacles in the road, obscured road signs-anything that might be relevant to the accident. Keep a disposable camera in your glove compartment for this purpose; if your phone has a camera, you can use that as well.
* You should talk to your insurance company as soon as possible after the accident. They will ask you a lot of questions, but their process is very efficient and based on thousands of accident reports, so all you have to do is answer carefully and completely.
* If there are police officers at the scene, they will also have a list of questions for you, and will fill out an incident report, either at the scene or shortly thereafter. You should get a copy of this report, and make sure a copy is sent to your insurance company.
After the accident, it is important to follow up with your insurance company. The claim process is largely automated, so there may not be much for you to do, but you should check in anyway. A once-a-week update isn't unreasonable. And, of course, if they should contact you, return their call as soon as you can. Finally, once the claim is settled, you'll want to talk to your agent about any changes it may cause to your insurance.
An accident can be a terrible event, but you can make the aftermath easier to handle if you just remember to stay calm, be thorough, and follow up. Do these things and soon you'll be back on the road and the claim will be just a memory.
First of all make up your mind to accept that you are not going to get the same professional looking job by using spray paints from a can. That's not to say you can't use them and get decent results. Just don't raise your expectations to high. Respraying your car will take some getting used to.
First Step:
Do all of your sanding of the rough spots, and filling of the holes. There is no point in doing this after you have cleaned the car you will just be defeating the purpose of washing the car in the first place.
Second step:
You must start with a clean car. If you don't then your final paint finish will be a mess. Every bit of debris that you left on the car will be evident after the respraying.
Hint: If your car is wet and you shine a light on it you will clearly see any imperfections that you didn't catch in the first or second step
Third Step
Now you have to mask off all of the areas where you do not want paint. If you aren't really diligent in this step you could end up being really sorry that you didn't. It would be a shame to have a beautiful paint finish, but half the paint is on the windows or chrome.
Fourth Step
Practice a little bit with your spray. There is a bit of a technique to it. Remember we said that respraying your car does take some time. Practice on a piece of cardboard. That way you are not as likely to get squirts or blobs of paint. Keep the spray moving continuously, and in very light coats. Several light coats of paint are far superior to two thick ones, that will look really uneven.
Fifth Step
Allow the coats of paint to dry at least one hour in between. Then apply the finishing coat. Again this should be applied just like the paint. A flowing motion with just a very light coating.
By taking your time to do the job right and following these respraying instructions you should end up with a very acceptable completed project. If you try and take short cuts then this is where your problems will start.
Make sure you use good quality equipment and products. Take your time, because when you start to rush a stage then that's where mistakes take place. Remember to use the proper safety measures such as the right protective gear.
Ideally it helps to be able to respray your car on a warm sunny day, as it helps to set or bake the paint on, giving it a nicer finish.
So remember before you start, do your research on the how to's and have all your equipment and supplies at hand, and you are ready to go for it.
Both Susan Tanner & Mario Goldstein are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.