If you have an accident in your car, you will probably need to send it to a collision repair technician, who will be able to assess the damage to your vehicle, calculate how much repairs will cost and then carry out the repairs that are required.

When a vehicle has a collision, there are typically certain damages which occur, and it is these that the collision repair technician will be looking for when they carry out their assessment. It is important that this is done properly, diligently and thoroughly so that the car can get back to perfect running order and that all of the reports that are needed for insurance, for example, are accurate and useful.

There are three main areas of damage to a vehicle after a collision – the bumper area – which is designed to absorb the majority of a head or back end collision, the door area (of a car) which usually takes the impact of a side-on collision, and the windshields.

Bumpers

The fender or bumper of the car is there primarily to lessen the impact to the vehicle and of course its passengers during the collision. It is important therefore that the bumper or fender is in good condition. Depending on the gravity of the collision, you might be able to repair just the damaged area of the bumper or fender, but if there is more damage, you might have to replace the whole thing. The replacement of a fender or bumper is a quick and easy job, and can be carried out by all collision repair technicians.

Doors

Given that almost the entire side of a car is made up of a door panel, it is likely that in a side collision the door panel might be damaged. There are two main issues here – denting and the door losing its functionality. Small dents in the door panel can be easily repaired, but if there is more serious denting you might have to have a new door fitted.

The other potential problem is that the door becomes misaligned. This will inhibit the functionality of the door, causing problems opening, closing or locking or unlocking it. The collision repair technician will look at factors such as the gap between the door panel and the main body of the vehicle, to see if it is even.  If the gap is small and even, the door should be able to work normally, but if it is larger or uneven, a new door panel might have to be fitted, or the damaged part of the body, repaired.

Windshields

It is very easy to damage either the front or back windshield in a collision – the impact alone can cause damage to the windshield. Just the smallest crack or damage needs to be repaired because it can quickly worsen and can result in the need for a complete windshield replacement.

The work of a collision repair technician is crucial to getting your car back into perfect running order after a collision. If there is something missed in the assessment it can delay everything – from how soon you will have your car back, to how much your insurance company will charge you for insurance.

For more information about collision damage repair and the role of collision repair technicians, get in touch with us today.