Insurance & Claims7 min read
A collision claim has more moving parts than most drivers expect, and almost all of the confusion comes from not knowing who is responsible for which step. Once you understand the sequence, the process stops feeling adversarial and starts feeling like paperwork.
It begins with first notice of loss: you tell your insurer an accident happened. They open a claim number, which becomes the reference for every conversation afterward. Keep it somewhere you can find it, because you will be asked for it repeatedly.
Next comes the estimate. Your shop documents the visible damage, the parts required, and the labor hours involved, and submits it to the insurer. The adjuster reviews it and either approves it or writes their own. Differences between the two are normal and are resolved between the shop and the adjuster, not by you.
Then the vehicle comes apart. This is where supplements happen. Once panels are removed, damage that was not visible from the outside frequently turns up — a bent bracket, a cracked absorber, corrosion behind a quarter panel. The shop documents the new findings and submits a supplement for additional approval. A supplement is not a red flag; it is the normal consequence of only being able to see so much from the outside.
Your deductible is the portion you pay directly to the shop, regardless of who is at fault, when the claim runs through your own policy. If the other driver is clearly at fault and their carrier accepts liability, the claim may run through their policy instead and the deductible question changes.
Where a shop earns its keep is in the communication between all of these steps. Heritage works with every insurance carrier, talks directly with adjusters, and keeps you informed rather than leaving you to chase updates. You should be able to hand off the claim and get your vehicle back.
