How to Find a Collision Repair Shop in California
A step-by-step guide to picking a licensed California body shop, from your right to choose and the BAR license check to comparing written estimates.
Collision Assistant
Post-Repair Inspection Checklist After Collision Repair
What to check before you drive away from the body shop, and how California's free BAR Auto Body Inspection Program works.
ADAS Calibration After Collision and Why It Matters
What ADAS calibration is, which repairs trigger it, static vs dynamic methods, and California's new glass calibration disclosure law.
OEM vs Aftermarket Parts for Collision Repair
A side-by-side comparison of OEM, aftermarket and used crash parts, the California rules insurers must follow, and who should pick each.
Hidden Damage After Car Accident: Signs and Next Steps
Signs your car has damage you cannot see, how shops find it at teardown, and how it gets added to the claim as a supplement.
How to Read a Collision Repair Estimate in California
A line-by-line guide to a California collision repair estimate: labor, refinish, part types, sublet work and supplements.
Collision Repair in California: Process, Costs & What to Expect
Collision repair in California, step by step: estimates, teardown, supplements, who pays, repair time and your right to choose the body shop under state law.
Lowball Insurance Offer After a Car Accident: What to Do
Why vehicle offers come in low, how to check an estimate or total loss valuation, how to respond in writing and when to contact CDI or an attorney.
Who Pays for the Rental Car After an Accident in California
Loss of use vs rental reimbursement, how long a rental lasts, and how to ask for an extension before the insurer's cutoff date.
Is My Car a Total Loss? How California Insurers Decide
How California insurers decide a total loss, how comparable cars must be chosen, what the settlement must include, and what to check before you accept.
Diminished Value Claim in California: Recover Lost Car Value
When a repaired car is worth less than before the crash, how California measures diminished value, who pays it, and the records that support it.
Not at Fault Accident in California: What It Means for Your Claim
How fault works in California, whose insurance pays for repairs, getting your deductible back, rates, and what to do if the other driver is uninsured.
Car damaged? Start here.
Get a free quote and a coordinator assigned to your claim. Tell us what happened and Collision Assistant takes it from there.