If you’ve been involved in a car accident and your vehicle has been damaged, you no doubt want it back on the road as soon as possible. If you have the skills, then that might involve carrying out the work yourself. There is nothing by law that says you can’t undertake your own repairs, but you may want to think about your insurance policy before you make the final decision.
The advantages of a DIY job
Carrying out your own repairs might be the fastest way to get your vehicle back to roadworthy condition, but you should get your handiwork checked over by a qualified mechanic before you do any serious driving. A quick patch job won’t be good enough, and it’s illegal to drive a vehicle that isn’t roadworthy and might endanger you or other road users.
You should also check your insurance policy and see what the maximum cover costs are. If you can afford to wait for the payout then that’s all to the good, but if you can’t, you can get started on the repairs while your claim is being assessed.
The advantages of a garage repair
A lot of us simply won’t have the skills to carry out our own repairs, in which case your car definitely needs the attention of a skilled mechanic at a professional garage. If you’ve been involved in an accident, particularly one you weren’t to blame for, then you’ll want everything dealt with as quickly and smoothly as possible.
If you do need to send your car to the garage then you might want to consider courtesy car hire. You can get a replacement courtesy car which is at least the equivalent of your damaged vehicle, meaning you have a set of wheels to tide you over while your own vehicle is being repaired.
It’s your call
So in answer to the title question – yes, you can indeed carry out your own repairs, providing they are to a standard which makes your vehicle roadworthy. It all comes down to whether you have the skills or whether you would prefer someone else to do the hard work on your behalf.
