You may be involved in an auto collision that left little visible damage to your vehicle. However, there could be more than meets the eye, both financially and for safety concerns. Many insurance companies now only provide compensation for actual auto collision repair instead of just assessing the damage and issuing a check for the estimated damage to a vehicle. This is a better option, because many vehicle owners, sometimes strapped for cash or just not concerned with what they perceive as minor physical blemishes to their vehicles, will opt to keep the cash or forego the repairs.

Financial incentive for repairing your vehicle after a minor collision

Loss of value

In addition to vehicle owners who choose a cash settlement over having auto collision repair performed, there are those who don't want to pay a required deductible to have their insurance company pay for the balance of the repair bill.

This is very shortsighted, because collision damage can cause your vehicle to lose substantially more value than the cost of the deductible. While you may not plan on trading or selling your car at the present moment, who knows what the future may bring? Financial difficulties, changes in family size, or other issues may force you to trade or sell your car for much less in an unforeseeable future.

In addition to the initial loss of value, the collision damage may lead to rusting or other causal effects, resulting in even further financial loss.

Safety issues that should be considered when your vehicle sustains collision damage

When components such as side mirrors get damaged, the most obvious safety concern is the effect on your ability to see other vehicles on the road. If the mirror itself is cracked, it can splinter and cause serious eye damage or lacerations to occupants of the vehicle or pedestrians.

Allowing the mirror frame to hang loose or attempting to secure it with duct tape or tie wire, even temporarily, exposes both pedestrians and other drivers to the danger of the mirror frame flying off at high speed and becoming a deadly projectile.

When plastic bumper guards are torn or broken, they face increased wind resistance, causing them to flap in the wind and possibly break away at high speeds, endangering both the occupants of the vehicle and everyone in the vicinity of the vehicle.

Seemingly minor collisions can cause major mechanical issues that may not be readily apparent if the collision damage is not inspected at a local auto collision center. This can result not only in loss of the vehicle, but also loss of life.

Even a minor collision should be repaired, even if just for aesthetic reasons. Would you wear a stained or torn shirt every day? Accidents are the reason that responsible people have insurance. Why waste your insurance premiums? Get your vehicle repaired. For more information on auto collision repair, contact a company like Brad's Deer Valley Collision.

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