2. What is the difference between a direct repair shop (one referred by the insurance company) and a non-referenced shop?
Good question! In fact, House Joint Resolution #542 has requested that the Bureau of Insurance for the state of Virginia to study these "exclusive agreements between insurance companies and repair or replacement facilities."

The direct repair shop agreement exists between the insurance company and an auto body repair facility which establishes a set of "guidelines" for repairing their policyholders' and claimants' vehicles.

An example of one of these "guidelines" is that the auto body repair facility agrees to use aftermarket parts to repair your car.

Bruce's Super Body Shop is not a direct repair facility for any insurance company. Bruce's customer is you, the owner of the car!

3. What is the difference in the terminology OEM and aftermarket parts?
OEM is an acronym for "original equipment manufacturer." And aftermarket is not the manufacturer's original equipment. Bruce's strives to use only OEM parts for our customers' cars. The law states that the replacement parts must be of "like kind and quality."

4. Do I need to obtain more than one estimate for the repairs done to my vehicle?
There is no law in the state of Virginia requiring you to obtain more than one estimate to repair your vehicle. Your insurance company cannot require you to get more than one estimate.

5. If my car would not pass state inspection after the accident, should I be driving it?
After an accident, if your car would not pass a Virginia State Inspection due to damages caused by the accident, you should not be driving that vehicle. At that point you should be entitled to rental reimbursement from your insurance company.