Frequently Asked Questions

First, call the local police department. If the vehicle needs to be towed, advise the tow company to deliver the vehicle to Steve’s Auto Body. Contact your insurance carrier to file a claim. Contact Steve’s Auto Body to advise the vehicle is being towed to our facility and advise as to pertinent information (name, address, telephone number, insurance company, claim number).

You are not required to obtain more than one estimate.

You are not required to go to a repair facility that your insurance company suggests. Illinois State Law allows you to choose the repair facility you may use for your repair. If you feel that your insurance company is pressuring you to use a collision center that they suggest, please contact us and we will assist you with this issue.

We will review the insurance company’s estimate. In many instances, additional damage may not be determined until the vehicle is disassembled. We will disassemble the vehicle, re-write the estimate and submit the supplement to the insurance company for approval.

The insurance company’s goal is to finalize the claim as soon as possible and at a minimum cost. We will carefully assess the damage to your vehicle, and if additional damage is discovered, we will contact the insurance company to review the modifications with them, and bill them directly for the supplement. This excludes any deductible or depreciation that the insurance company may charge you.

The collision center will pay the tow bill. The tow bill will be added to the final estimate and submitted to the insurance company for payment.

If you are required to pay your deductible, it is to be paid after the repair is completed and when you pick up your vehicle.

OEM parts are “Original Equipment Manufacture” parts which means they come from the vehicle’s manufacturer.

Aftermarket parts are parts made by a manufacturer other than the original manufacturer.

LKQ (like, kind, quality) are used parts similar to those that were originally on your vehicle.

It is totally unethical to modify an estimate to save the deductible. A reputable collision center would not suggest that they can save your deductible.

The collision center will warrant the repairs performed on your vehicle. For this reason, it is imperative that you select a highly respected collision center. Any honest, quality repair facility will warrant their repairs.