Turk’s recently completed a Dodge Caravan collision repair, that demonstrates what is referred to as “hidden damage”, quite well. In other words, often times when a vehicle is involved in a collision, the damage may not appear to be substantial from the outside, but it will have underlying hidden damage that cannot be seen until the damaged area is disassembled for repair.
This Dodge Caravan collision repair was originally assessed based only on the damage that could visibly be seen from the outside.
When the vehicle was brought to the body shop for repairs, and the damaged front area was disassembled, the full extent of the collision damage could be seen. At this point a full blueprint of repairs was established, including what parts need to be replaced, as well as repairs that needed to be performed.
This is the typical process when assessing collision damage; the “Preliminary Estimate” comes first and its based on the damage that can be seen while the vehicle is still together. Many times an insurance agent or claims representative may request that a policy holder obtain a preliminary estimate to establish whether or not the repairs will exceed their deductible. If its determined the repairs will be greater than the deductible, the insurance agent or claims representative will then provide direction for the “next steps” to filing an insurance claim for the collision damages and choosing an auto body repair shop to perform the repairs.
Once the vehicle is brought to the body shop for repairs, the hidden damage can be properly assessed. In some cases, when the collision damage is not severe, there will be no hidden damage, or additional parts or repairs necessary. A professional auto body estimator, or insurance appraiser can most likely tell when there is underlying damage based on what the outside looks like, however its not until the vehicle is actually in the collision damage repair process that hidden damage can be visibly seen and addressed.
This Dodge Caravan collision repair was a perfect example of the difference between visible damage and hidden damage. As you can see by the Before and After photos, there does not appear to be a significant difference. However when you view several of the photos which show the hidden damage beneath, the extent of the collision repair needed becomes evident.
When you need an auto body estimate and/or auto body repairs, contact Turk’s Collision in Minooka IL.
For more information on the Dodge Caravan visit the Official Dodge Grand Caravan Web Page.