How does the repair process work after an accident?
Through a chain involving your insurer, a repair network and frequently several intermediaries — and understanding who is instructing whom determines how much control you actually have.
What happens after you report a claim:
The insurer assesses liability and decides whether to deal with it as a claim on your policy or to recover from the other party.
The vehicle is inspected, increasingly by photographs or video rather than in person.
A decision is made between repair and total loss, based on repair cost against the car's value.
Repair is instructed, usually to an approved repairer in the insurer's network, which typically comes with a guarantee on the work and a faster process.
You are generally entitled to use your own repairer, which most policies permit — sometimes at the cost of the guarantee or with a contribution. Ask rather than assume.
On courtesy cars. A courtesy car provided under your own policy is usually a small basic vehicle and depends on your cover. A replacement vehicle provided when you were not at fault is a different arrangement entirely — it is frequently supplied by a credit hire company, which then recovers the cost from the other insurer. These are expensive, and if liability is disputed or the hire is unreasonable, you can in principle be pursued for the cost. Read what you sign, check the daily rate, and take a like-for-like vehicle only if you genuinely need one.
Be alert to claims management companies that contact you after an accident, sometimes within hours. Your details may have been passed on, and their business model involves fees and referrals. You do not have to use anyone your insurer or a cold caller proposes.
On repair quality: ask whether manufacturer or non-original parts are being used; ask about ADAS recalibration, which is mandatory after many repairs and is occasionally skipped; and inspect the work in daylight before accepting the car.
Keep the paperwork, because a repair history affects resale value and future claims.