Following an accident, the at-fault driver might try to pressure the other driver to let them pay for the car's damage without going through an insurance company. They will ask for sympathy, saying that they cannot afford to increase their insurance rates if they make a claim.  The at-fault driver is essentially asking the other driver to pretend the accident never happened; they don't want the police or the insurance companies to know about it.

However, some physical injuries sustained as a result of a "minor" accident do not immediately surface, and failing to make an insurance claim right away drastically reduces the likelihood of obtaining compensation to pay for treatment of these injuries. In addition, having an insurance company assess and pay for vehicle damage creates a record that proves the extent of the impact, which is essential in proving the relationship between the accident and subsequent injuries.

Given that a driver should make an insurance claim to pay for vehicle repairs, the question is whether that claim should be filed with their own insurance company or with the other driver's insurance. Making a claim against the other driver's insurance has distinct advantages.  First, filing a claim with the other driver's company asserts that he or she is at fault in the accident. Second, those who use their own insurance company often have to pay a deductible, which can be quite expensive depending on the policy. If the insurance company of the other driver accepts fault for the accident, then the other insurance company will pay your deductible for you.

Once a driver has successfully filed a claim with the at-fault driver's insurance company, the company will most likely suggest specific repair shops that can fix the car. It is important for accident victims to know that these shops may not be a neutral party: they receive their business from the insurance company and may, therefore, minimize the cost of the repairs in order to please the insurance company. Minimizing the costs of a repair might be at odds with making sure the car is fixed the right way. 

Many accident victims do not know that they can choose to bring their car to other shops, including dealer facilities. Under California law, the other insurance company must allow you to have your car repaired at any repair facility of your choosing. Regardless of where you decide to have your car repaired, the insurance company will send an adjuster to examine the vehicle before the repairs begin.

A car accident is disruptive to everyday life. Just as physical injuries must be mended, so too vehicle damage must be repaired. Remembering to make a claim against the at-fault driver's insurance company and to take the car to a reliable repair shop is the right way to fix a vehicle after an accident.

It is better to decline any other insurance company request that you give a recorded statement when you ask them to repair your car. Your recorded statement might later be unfairly used against you by that same insurance company in the injury part of your claim. The insurance company cannot make you give a recorded statement as a condition of fixing your car. Once the insurance company accepts fault, they are required to repair your car without a recorded statement.