For many of us petrolheads, our cars are our pride and joy. Yep, that’s something that most people say about their kids – but if you’ve owned a really great car, you’ll know it can apply to vehicles too! Okay, obviously it’s not quite the same. But many of us are still incredibly proud and protective of our cars and not only because they cost us a lot of money. Having a driving related accident or finding your car damage is every car lover’s worst nightmare. If this has ever happened to you, it can be difficult to know where to turn to or what to do next. Read on to find out how you can deal with a damaged vehicle and how you can get back on the road.
Stay calm
It is estimated that around 6 million car accidents occur in the United States every year. Of these 6 million accidents, at least 3 million of them result in personal injury, and around 40,000 result in death. But providing you walk out of a crash or collision relatively unscathed, the next thing you will probably think about is the effect it’s had on your vehicle. Cars are designed to withhold a certain amount of force – but they are also designed to break so that you don’t. Therefore your car is likely to experience damage when it hits another object at speed. The important thing to do is to stay calm and not lose it. Even though the collision may be the fault of another driver, you won’t achieve anything by starting a fight. Try to keep your cool and swap insurance details with the other party involved. If your car has been damaged whilst it was unattended, such as in a car park, speak to your insurers about the steps to take next.
Consider a replacement
Whilst mechanics can often work their magic on damaged vehicles are bring them back to life, sometimes individual cars are just too far gone. If your car is old, sometimes sourcing replacement parts for it is simply too expensive and too much hassle. So, it is in scenarios like this where you will have to accept that your car is headed for the scrapheap. But, remember that you may still be able to gain some money for trading in a damaged car, even if it is only for scrap metal. If you need a new car as soon as possible after damaging your other one but your finances are against you, speak to a company such as LendingTree. They may be able to give you advice on taking out an auto loan, which can help you get back on the road sooner rather than later.
See if it can be fixed
That being said, sometimes your car may still have some life left in it. You should be able to make a pretty accurate judge of this yourself, especially if the damage only seems to be superficial. But you should always take your car to a garage after any kind of collision, just to make sure it is still safe to drive. If your guesses were true and the damage is only to the exterior, you may be able to deal with some of these issues yourself. Any further issues, however, are best left to the professionals.
