The Most Common Auto Body Repair Claims in California

November 18th, 2015 by Eli P

With more than 25 million licensed drivers and more than 33 million registered vehicles, the state of California has more vehicles on the road than any other state. With so many vehicles on the road, some are bound to collide with each other, or some stationary object, on a regular basis.

 

In some cases, collisions are due to weather, road conditions, animals in the road, and other circumstances beyond the driver’s control. Weather conditions can be particularly dangerous in areas like the Tejon Pass, outside of Los Angeles, and the mountain roads near Big Bear and Lake Tahoe.

However, in most cases, driver error is at fault. In California, the five leading causes of driver-at-fault accidents are:

• Driver fatigue
• Driving under the influence
• Aggressive driving
• Exceeding the speed limit
• Distracted driving

 

Different Types of Repair Claims

Vehicle collisions – whether from weather, animal or driver causes – produce many different types of damage that need to be repaired. In California, common auto body repair claims include:

 

• Front and rear end damage. Rear-end collisions are a leading cause of auto body claims in California, especially in the big cities like Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco. Because most of these occur in traffic at relatively low speeds (compared to highway driving), the damage tends to be low to moderate. Repairs typically include replacing the front or rear bumper, headlights and brake lights, and any side panels that might also get damaged in the accident.

 

• Extensive body damage. High-speed collisions, which can cause significant damage, tend to happen more frequently on the interstate highways, such as I-5, and state highways such as CA-67.  As long as the frame of the vehicle remains in good condition, body repairs are usually performed. However, in some cases the damage is so extensive that the vehicle is declared a total loss.

 

• Windshield. Windshields can get damaged in many different ways, including accidents, hail, vandalism, and wind-blown debris. These types of claims range from repairing small nicks and cracks to a complete windshield replacement. Most of these repairs can be completed in a few hours or less.

 

• Dents, nicks, and scratches. In California, it’s hard to drive a car very long without incurring a few dings here and there. Minor body damage usually doesn’t affect the safety or performance of the vehicle, but it can affect the vehicle’s appearance and value. Most drivers like to keep their vehicles looking good, so it’s no surprise that minor repairs are always high on the list of auto body claims.

 

• Paint jobs. Cars can need painting for a lot of reasons – accidents, collisions, minor scrapes, vandalism, or age. Painting a car is not like painting a house, and requires a special kind of paint and experienced technicians to apply it properly. Whether you’re touching up a few nicks or repainting the entire car, it’s better to live this kind of job to the professionals.

Fix Auto USA Will Fix It Right For You

 

If your car needs auto body repair work, no matter what the reason, bring it into your nearest Fix Auto USA  shop for prompt service. From San Clemente to San Jose, from Salinas to Sun Valley, we have more than 35 convenient locations to serve you.