An accident leaves you with two jobs you never asked for: getting the car put right, and dealing with the insurance claim that pays for it. Bodyteq is an accident and insurance repair specialist, and we work with all insurance companies to offer a streamlined repair service from start to finish. We understand how unsettling it is to see your car damaged, and our aim is simple: take the claim off your hands and return the car in its pre-accident condition.
All repairs are carried out at our workshop in Greenwich, South-East London. This page walks through what happens from the moment of the accident to the day you collect, the collision damage we repair, how to choose us as your repairer, and the questions drivers ask us most.
What Happens After an Accident, Step by Step
If you have just been in an accident, our guide covers what to do at the scene. Once everyone is safe and details have been exchanged, the repair side follows the same sequence every time.
- Record the damage. Take photos of every damaged area, the other vehicle if there was one, and the scene. They help your claim, and they give us a head start on the estimate.
- Report the claim and name your repairer. When you call your insurer, tell them you would like Bodyteq to carry out the work. That is all you need to say.
- Get the car to us. Send us photos for an initial estimate, or bring the car to the Greenwich workshop for a visual inspection. If the car is not safe to drive, arrange recovery through your insurer or breakdown cover rather than driving it here.
- We deal with your insurer. We send the estimate to your insurance company and handle the conversation from there, through to authorisation of the repair.
- Strip, inspect and repair. Trim and panels around the impact are removed so we can see everything the collision affected. If we find more than the first estimate showed, we report it to your insurer and keep you informed before carrying on.
- Paint, check and collect. The repaired area is painted, oven-cured and inspected, the car is valeted, and you collect it. Payment for the repair is settled between us and your insurer.
If the damage happened while you were away from the car, the first steps are a little different. Our guide on what to do when someone hits your parked car explains how to gather what your insurer will need.
The Collision Damage We Repair
Car collision repair ranges from a cracked bumper after a low-speed nudge to several panels and the structure beneath them after a harder impact. Because panel work, paint and diagnostics all happen in-house, one team carries your car from strip-down to final inspection.
Bumpers
Most London accidents are low-speed, and the bumper takes the first hit. Cracks, splits, scuffs and broken mounting tabs can usually be repaired and resprayed rather than replaced; our car bumper repair page explains how we decide.
Dents and damaged panels
Where the paint over a dent is unbroken, paintless dent repair can ease the metal back without filler or paint. Creased or torn panels are reshaped by panel beating, or replaced with genuine OEM parts where repair would not restore the original strength and shape.
Scrapes and paint damage
A glancing contact often leaves long scrapes across two or three panels. Car scratch repair treats each one by depth, and neighbouring panels are painted and blended together so the colour stays consistent along that side of the car.
Heavier and structural damage
After a harder collision, the body itself can be pushed out of line, which shows up as uneven gaps around doors, bonnet or boot. These cars go onto our specialist alignment jig so the shape can be measured and corrected before any panel is fitted. Dealer-level diagnostic equipment lets us check electronic systems affected by the impact, and our team includes hybrid and electric vehicle specialists.
Paint and finish
Every repair is painted with genuine Standox paints and HS lacquers, then cured in our low-bake commercial paint oven. The aim is a repair you cannot pick out from the original paintwork.
Choosing Your Own Repairer
When you report an accident, your insurer may suggest a garage to repair the car. You do not have to take that suggestion.
Choose us as your repairer — insurers accept Bodyteq to repair their customers’ cars. Just tell your insurer you’d like Bodyteq to carry out the work.
Choosing your own repairer means you know where the car is, you can speak directly to the people working on it, and you can see the workshop before you hand over the keys. When having your car repaired as part of an insurance claim, we deal directly with the insurance company throughout the entire repair process, from quoting the repairs to collecting payment, so you do not need to pay for the job up front and bill your insurer later.
Here is what you get when we handle your claim:
- Claims handled for you. Our claims management system keeps the estimate, authorisation and any extra damage moving with your insurer, so you are not the go-between.
- Genuine OEM parts. Any parts we replace are genuine manufacturer parts, so warranties you have on the car are not affected.
- Specialist technicians and equipment. Panel beating, paintless dent repair, paint and colour matching, and MET (mechanical, electrical and trim) work under one roof, backed by the alignment jig, spray booth and paint oven.
- Fully guaranteed workmanship. Every repair is quality-checked before the car leaves us and is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
The Insurance Excess Guarantee
Most motor policies carry an excess, the amount you pay towards any claim, and it is easy to forget until you need to claim. Our Insurance Excess Guarantee is protection you can buy from us for one small fee, and it covers your motor insurance excess, up to a set limit, when we repair your car.
It is open to anyone with a valid motor insurance policy, with no age restrictions and no driver-history checks. The guarantee is issued for 12 months from the date you buy it, can be renewed, and is redeemed when the damaged car is repaired by Bodyteq. The cover limit and full terms are on the guarantee page.
Accident Repair in London From Our Greenwich Workshop
The claim is paperwork; the repair is what you live with afterwards. We would rather you remembered us for how straight the panel gaps sit and how evenly the new paint meets the old than for how quickly the forms were filed, although we handle those too.
Our accident repair centre is in Greenwich, and drivers bring their cars to us from across South, South-East and East London, including Blackheath, Charlton, Woolwich, Bexley, Sidcup, Bromley and Orpington. If you are searching for car accident repairs near me from anywhere in South-East London, every repair happens at our workshop, where the jig, booth and oven are. If you have had an accident or are about to make a claim, contact us today and we will talk you through the next step.
Accident and Insurance Repair FAQs
Can I choose my own repairer after an accident?
Yes. Your insurer may suggest a garage, but you can tell them you would like Bodyteq to carry out the work. Insurers accept Bodyteq to repair their customers’ cars, and we work with all insurance companies.
Do I have to pay anything up front?
Not for the repair itself. We deal with your insurer from the estimate through to payment, so you are not paying for the job and claiming it back. The one amount that can fall to you is your policy excess, which our Insurance Excess Guarantee can cover if you have one in place.
Should I claim on my insurance or pay for the repair privately?
For lighter damage, a private repair can cost less than your excess, and some drivers prefer not to add a claim to their record. We are happy to quote for a private repair as well, so you can compare both routes before you decide whether to claim.
My car is not safe to drive after the accident. Can I still use you?
Yes. Do not drive a car with broken lights, a damaged wheel or steering, or any fluid leaking. Arrange recovery through your insurer or breakdown cover and ask for the car to be taken to our Greenwich workshop.
What happens if more damage is found once the repair starts?
It is common, because brackets, sensors and fixings behind a bumper or panel only come into view once it is removed. We record what we find, send it to your insurer and keep you informed before that part of the work goes ahead.
Will an accident repair affect my car’s warranty?
We use genuine OEM parts, so any warranties you have on the car are not affected by the parts we fit, and every repair is carried out to manufacturer specification.
How long will my car be off the road?
It depends on the extent of the damage, how quickly parts arrive and when your insurer authorises the work. Once the repair is authorised, we give you an expected timescale and let you know if anything changes.
