I’ve been fixing collision-damaged cars for 45 years, and the questions people ask me after an accident haven’t changed much. Can I drive it? Who do I call first? Why doesn’t the insurance estimate match what the shop is telling me? Do I have to go where the insurance company sends me?

This post covers what I tell people who call the shop or pull into the lot after a crash. It comes down to four things worth getting right before your car is repaired: documenting the damage, deciding whether it should be driven, understanding how that first estimate really works, and choosing who evaluates the damage.

One thing up front, because it causes more confusion than anything else: the first estimate written on your car usually isn’t the final word. It’s based on what someone could see at the time. Once damaged parts come off, there’s often more to the story.

Handle the Scene First, Then Turn to the Car

Safety and the police report come before anything else. In Pennsylvania, you’re required to notify police immediately if an accident involves injury or death, or if a vehicle is damaged badly enough that it can’t be driven normally without further damage or hazard and has to be towed. In some cases where an accident should have been investigated by an officer and wasn’t, you also need to send a written report to PennDOT within five days.

I’m a body man, not a lawyer, so take that as general information and not legal advice. Once everyone’s safe and the reporting is handled, your attention can turn to the car.

Photograph the Vehicle Before Anything Moves It

If you’re able to, take pictures before the car gets towed, pushed to the shoulder, or driven anywhere. Once it moves, some of what those photos would have shown is gone for good. Take more than you think you need. Nobody has ever told me they took too many.

Here’s what I like to see in accident photos:

• All four sides of the car, shot from several feet back
• The main impact area, both up close and from a distance
• Wider shots showing the road, the other vehicle, and the surroundings
• Each wheel and tire, including how the wheel sits in its opening
• Broken lamps and cracked glass
• Anything hanging loose, separated, or sitting at an odd angle
• Fluid on the pavement under the car
• The dashboard with any warning lights on
• Interior damage like deployed airbags, seats, and trim
• Damaged cargo or personal belongings, if that applies

Good photos help if the car gets moved before an appraiser or shop sees it. They also give you, the insurer, and the shop the same reference point for what the car looked like right after the accident.

Should You Drive Your Car After an Accident?

Honestly? You can’t tell by looking at it.

I’ve had plenty of cars come in where the bumper cover looked almost fine, and behind it the absorber and reinforcement had taken the whole hit. I’ve seen “just a dent” in a fender where the wheel behind it had been knocked out of position. The outside of a car is a poor guide to what happened underneath.

The better question is whether the accident changed anything about how the car drives, stays together, or goes down the road. These are the signs I’d take seriously:

Fluid under the car. A new leak after an impact is never something to shrug off.

A tire rubbing on bodywork. If a pushed-in fender or liner is touching the tire, it can cut into it every time the wheel turns.

Steering that feels different. A new pull, a vibration, or a steering wheel that’s no longer centered all deserve a look.

Loose or hanging parts. Anything that could come off at highway speed is a hazard to you and everyone behind you.

Broken lights. Damaged headlights, taillights, or signals affect whether you can see, whether you can be seen, and whether the car is legal to drive.

Damaged glass in your line of sight. Cracks can get in the way of seeing the road.

New warning lights. Pay special attention to brake, stability, airbag, and driver-assistance warnings.

New noises. Grinding, scraping, or a rhythmic sound that wasn’t there before the accident.

A wheel that doesn’t sit right in its opening. That’s not cosmetic, and it needs to be checked.

None of these tells you exactly what’s wrong. A pull, a leak, or a warning light can come from several different causes, and anybody who names the cause without putting eyes on the car is guessing. If there’s reasonable doubt, have it towed. A tow costs a lot less than turning a repair into a bigger repair, or finding out on Route 313 that the car wasn’t ready to be driven.

Not sure your car should be driven? Call me at 215-249-3602 and tell me what you’re seeing. We can talk through it and help arrange a tow to our Dublin shop if that’s the safer choice. [Ask About Towing Assistance]

Start the Insurance Claim, But Don’t Mistake the First Estimate for the Repair Plan

People ask me all the time whether they should call the insurance company or the body shop first. Report the claim promptly, but you don’t have to wait on every insurance step before talking to a repair shop. If the car might not be safe to drive, figuring out how to move it safely is usually the more pressing issue.

After the claim is open, the car may be appraised from photos, through an in-person inspection, or wherever it happens to be sitting.

Here’s something most people don’t know. Pennsylvania’s motor vehicle appraisal rules require the appraisal to describe the repairs known at the time of appraisal. Those few words explain a lot.

An appraiser writing an estimate from photos or a walk-around can only list what’s visible from where they’re standing. When the car is in my shop, we can take the damaged parts off, put it up on the lift, check the mounting points, and look at areas you simply can’t see from outside. That’s why the repair picture so often changes after the first estimate. Nobody did anything wrong. We just have better access.

It also helps to understand who does what. The insurance company decides coverage and what it will pay under your policy. The repair shop identifies, documents, and performs the work your car actually needs. Those are two different jobs. (For more on estimates, supplements, and paperwork, see our guide to how collision insurance claims are handled.)

Pennsylvania’s appraisal rules also require the appraisal to state that costs above the appraised amount may end up being the vehicle owner’s responsibility. That’s one more reason to understand what each estimate covers before any repair work begins.

You Can Choose Your Own Body Shop in Pennsylvania

Your insurance company may recommend a shop. You’re not required to use it.

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department says the choice of where your car is repaired is yours, and state appraisal rules require the written appraisal to say there’s no requirement to use a specific repair shop. The rules also require the appraiser to review the appraisal with an authorized representative of the shop you pick, when applicable, and a later appraisal or reappraisal by another licensed appraiser is allowed.

So the real question is how to pick a shop. If I were in your shoes, I’d want to know:

• Who is actually looking at my car, and can I talk to that person directly?
• Can they explain in plain language why two estimates are different?
• Are the technicians keeping up with collision-repair training?
• How do they document what they find?
• Can I see examples of work they’ve finished?
• What warranty do they put behind their workmanship?
• Do they explain things in a way I understand?

When you bring your car to us, I’m the one looking at it. After 45 years, I’ve learned that a good estimate starts with slowing down and actually looking, not rushing to write numbers. Our shop holds I-CAR Gold Class recognition, which means our technicians keep up with ongoing collision-repair training, and we use the Spies Hecker refinishing system for paint. You’re welcome to learn more about me and the shop, look through finished repairs, and read what our customers have to say before you decide.

Have the Car Inspected for Damage You Can’t See

Bumpers, fenders, and quarter panels are the parts you see. They sit in front of a lot of other things that absorb an impact too. Depending on the vehicle, behind a bumper cover you might find an energy absorber, a reinforcement bar, brackets, wiring, and sensor mounts.

In my experience, these are the areas where hidden damage turns up most often:

• Bumper absorbers and reinforcements
• Brackets, tabs, and mounting points
• Neighboring panels pushed at their edges rather than hit head-on
• Wiring and connectors behind the impact area
• Lamp housings broken at their mounts
• Sensors, cameras, radar units, and the brackets that aim them
• Wheel clearance
• Door, hood, and trunk openings and gaps
• Structural rails, mounts, and reinforcements

Sensors and cameras deserve a special mention. On today’s cars, a bracket that’s bent a few degrees can throw off a driver-assistance system even when everything looks fine. That’s something that barely existed when I started in this business, and it’s a big part of why careful teardown matters more now than it ever has.

Taking damaged parts off is often what reveals the full picture. That’s the difference between looking at damage and actually inspecting it. If your accident may have affected more than the panel you can see, read more about how I evaluate collision and frame repair.

Why Is the Body Shop Estimate Higher Than the Insurance Estimate?

This is probably the question I hear most. Usually the answer is that the two estimates were written at different stages, with different access to the car.

Timing. One may have been written before anything was taken apart.

Access. One may be based on photos or a quick walk-around, and the other on a closer inspection.

Parts. The two may assume different part types, availability, or pricing.

Disassembly. Once damaged components come off, additional damage often shows up.

When we find more accident-related damage, we document it with photos and submit a supplement to your insurer. A supplement isn’t automatic approval. It gives the insurance company the added information it needs to review under your existing claim. What you should get from your shop is a clear explanation of what was found and why it changes the repair plan. If a shop can’t explain that to you in plain English, that tells you something.

Keep Your Claim and Vehicle Information in One Place

One folder, paper or on your phone, will save you a lot of headaches. Keep these together:

• Claim number and insurance company
• The insurance estimate or appraisal
• Adjuster’s name, phone number, and email
• Photos from the accident
• Towing and storage paperwork
• Emails and texts about the claim
• Vehicle registration
• Insurance card
• VIN
• Notes about anything you noticed after the impact

Don’t skip that last one. You were driving the car. If you felt the steering change, heard a new noise, saw a warning light, or noticed a leak, tell us. Some of those things don’t show up when a car is sitting still in the shop, and what you noticed can point us right to the problem.

What Happens When You Bring Your Car to Our Shop

A lot of people come to us after they’ve already heard two or three different opinions about what’s wrong with their car. My first job is to clear that up with what we can actually see and evaluate.

Here’s how it usually goes. I’ll walk around the car and look over the visible damage with you. If you have insurance paperwork, we’ll go over it together. I’ll explain what we know at that point and point out any areas that need a closer look, rather than guessing at them. You’ll get a free estimate for what can reasonably be evaluated. If more related damage turns up once we start the repair, we update the repair plan and the documentation so you and your insurer know exactly what we found.

Scott Logan Collision & Custom Auto is a family-owned auto body and collision repair shop on North Main Street in Dublin, Pennsylvania. We work on all makes and models, foreign and domestic, and serve drivers throughout Bucks County, including Doylestown, Pipersville, and Plumsteadville. We also back qualifying repair work with a lifetime workmanship warranty.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I take my car to a body shop before the insurance adjuster sees it?

Yes. You can bring your car to the shop you’re considering before the insurer finishes its appraisal. Take photos first, report the claim promptly, and let your insurance company know where the car is if they still need to inspect it. Before you authorize any repairs, make sure you understand what work you’re approving and where the claim stands.

Can I drive my car after a minor accident?

Sometimes, but how it looks isn’t a reliable test. Damage that seems cosmetic can still affect wheel position, lighting, cooling, visibility, or how parts are attached. Check for leaks, tire rubbing, steering changes, loose parts, broken lights, damaged glass, warning lights, and new noises. If you notice any of those, or you’re just not sure, a tow is the safer call.

Can I choose my own repair shop in Pennsylvania?

Yes. The Pennsylvania Insurance Department says the choice of where your car is repaired is up to you, and Pennsylvania appraisal rules require the written appraisal to state that you don’t have to use a specific shop. Your insurer can recommend one, but the decision is yours. Just remember that costs above the appraised amount may become your responsibility, so ask questions and understand the repair plan before work starts.

What happens if the body shop finds more damage than the insurance estimate?

The shop documents the additional accident-related damage and submits a supplement to your insurer with photos and supporting information. The insurer reviews it and decides whether the extra work is covered under your claim. Finding hidden damage means the repair is based on what’s actually there, not just what could be seen during the first appraisal.

What should I bring to a body shop after an accident?

Bring whatever you have: claim number, insurance company name, insurance estimate, adjuster contact info, photos, towing or storage paperwork, registration, and insurance card. Also tell the shop about any warning lights, noises, leaks, steering changes, or anything else that felt different after the accident. If you don’t have all the paperwork yet, that’s fine. We can still look at the car.

Do I need more than one collision repair estimate?

Not necessarily. Pennsylvania appraisal rules allow a later appraisal or reappraisal by a different licensed appraiser if someone involved wants one, and whether that helps depends on your situation. If you already have two estimates that don’t agree, understanding why they’re different is usually more useful than collecting a third number.

How soon should I have accident damage inspected?

The sooner the better, for practical reasons. The car’s condition hasn’t changed much, your photos still match what you’re seeing, and any leaks, rubbing, loose parts, or drivability problems can be checked before you put more miles on it. Report the claim promptly, and if you’re unsure about the car’s condition, have it inspected before you keep driving it.

Not Sure What the Accident Damaged? Start With the Car in Front of You

If the accident is behind you and you’re still trying to figure out what’s damaged, bring your car and whatever claim information you have to our shop on North Main Street in Dublin. I’ll look at the visible damage, explain what needs a closer look, and help you understand your next step.

A free estimate is just a starting point. It doesn’t commit you to anything.