FAQ Insurance

Claim numbers are issued by your insurance company at the time you report your accident. Please write the claim number down and bring it in with you when you begin the repair process.

Not necessarily. If the other party has accepted liability you do not have to call your insurance company. However, if you find you have a hard time recovering damages from the at-fault party, by filing a claim, your insurance company may be able to help you recover your costs, including your deductible from the insurance company providing coverage to the at-fault party.

If you're using your insurance company to pay for repairs to your car, then you are the “insured” and the terms of your policy apply. When another person’s insurance is responsible to pay for repairs to your car, then you're the “claimant.”

Yes. Mahnke Auto Body works with all insurance companies and directly handles all the paperwork with them.

You have the legal right to choose whatever repair facility you want. When reporting your claim, immediately let your insurance company know which shop you’d like to repair your vehicle. Your insurer should not attempt to influence your decision regarding where to have your vehicle repaired and is obligated to cover the reasonable costs of repairing your vehicle to its pre-accident condition no matter where you have repairs made. In Colorado, an Anti-Steering law was passed, but some insurance companies still try to control the customer’s decision for various reasons. Insurance companies are concerned about the shop’s customer service, cycle time, which is the time it takes to repair a vehicle, and the shop’s warranty. Mahnke is among the top Auto Body Shops in the state, completing excellent repairs, within a competitive cycle time, backing our work with an outstanding Limited Lifetime Warranty on all our repairs.

An auto accident and repair process is an inconvenient occurrence, at best. The way you and your repair experience are handled is often a reflection on the insurance company. Insurance companies refer customers to collision repair shops with whom they have a trusted and transparent relationship. At Mahnke Auto Body, customer care is our highest priority. We specialize in performing quality accident repairs, with a focus on a positive overall customer experience.

A direct repair facility is a body shop that works directly with your insurance company as a Preferred Shop. Insurance companies seek “best in class” repairers who provide exceptional repairs and customer service. Mahnke has earned the right to be in many preferred shop programs by meeting many requirements, including; having certified technicians, using the proper equipment, and most importantly, having a record of satisfied customers. When you use a preferred shop, the repair process is streamlined. A preferred shop actually writes the estimate, orders the parts, and repairs your vehicle without having to wait for an insurance adjuster. Insurance companies constantly monitor their preferred shops to ensure quality repairs. Repairs completed at Mahnke are guaranteed against defects in quality and workmanship for as long as you own the vehicle.

This is really a question only you can answer, based on a number of personal and financial factors. From the auto body repair perspective, if the initial drive-in estimate is based solely on visual inspection, there is a risk of an increased price of repairs. Frequently hidden damage is found when the vehicle is disassembled for repairs, sometimes increasing the cost dramatically.

You are. As the vehicle owner, you are in direct contract with the repair shop, not the insurance company. As such, it is extremely important to CHOOSE a repair shop that will meet your expectations for a quality repair because you are solely responsible for the cost of repair.

Mahnke Auto Body handles this step as a part of our service. We always obtain approval from your insurance company before repairs begin and with any supplements. Your insurance company will authorize repairs, types of parts used, payments, and written/digital photo documentation before and during the repair process.

A supplement is typically an estimate for hidden or additional damage, not discovered during the initial visible estimate. Supplements and hidden damage are a normal occurrence because today’s vehicles are designed to protect the occupants by crushing from the “outside-in.” If a shop finds additional damage, it writes a supplement and notifies the insurance company or customer for approval to continue with repairs.

Yes. Mahnke will work with the insurance company on any supplements, additional damage found to be accident related, and will bill them directly.

Yes, in most cases you will need to pay the deductible, even though you may not be at fault. You will be reimbursed by your insurance company if the other company pays through subrogation. Subrogation refers to the process an insurance company uses to seek reimbursement from the responsible party for a claim it has already paid.

Insurance deductibles are due at the completion of the repair process to the repair center. Your insurance adjuster can answer any questions you may have regarding your policy, coverage, and applicable deductibles. Be cautious of anyone offering to save you the cost of your deductible. Ask specific questions on how they plan to absorb this cost. Will all repairs be made per industry standard and will all the proper parts be used? This is not usually an offer with your best interest in mind or the protection of the investment you have in your vehicle.

Not necessarily, only if it’s already part of your policy. Look on your proof of insurance or check with your insurance agent. Rental Reimbursement Coverage is very affordable, but does not cover accidents which have already happened.

Yes, they have a right to inspect your vehicle, but are not required to do so. Mahnke shops have relationships with many Insurance Companies, and because of this, most companies trust Mahnke’s qualified estimators to inspect the vehicle on behalf of the Insurance Company.