Do You Have to Use Your Insurance Company’s Recommended Body Shop?

After an accident, your insurance company will often hand you a list of “preferred” or “recommended” shops and steer you toward one of them. It’s a common source of confusion for drivers in West Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach: do you actually have to go there? The short answer is no – in Florida, you have the legal right to choose any repair shop you want, including an independent, family-owned shop like Gonz Auto Collision Center.

You Have the Right to Choose Your Own Shop

No insurance company can legally require you to use a specific repair shop. Your policy pays for the repair; it doesn’t give the insurer control over where that repair happens. You’re free to take your car anywhere you trust, and that choice doesn’t affect your coverage.

What a “Direct Repair Program” Really Means

Insurance companies build networks of “preferred” shops, often called Direct Repair Programs (DRPs), because it simplifies their claims process and can speed up their own paperwork. These shops agree to the insurer’s pricing and inspection process in exchange for referral volume. That arrangement can work fine, but it’s built around the insurer’s convenience, not necessarily around getting your car repaired exactly the way you want it.

Why an Independent Shop Can Be Worth It

Gonz Auto Collision Center has been independently owned in Palm Beach County for 47 years. We work with most major insurance carriers and handle the claims paperwork directly, but our loyalty is to the person whose car is on the lift, not to an insurance company’s referral list. That means honest estimates, factory-match paint, and repairs done to the standard we’d want for our own vehicles.

Getting a Second Opinion

If your insurer has already sent you to a preferred shop and something doesn’t feel right, you’re allowed to get a second opinion at any point before repairs begin. Bring us your estimate and we’ll walk through it with you, free of charge, so you know exactly what you’re agreeing to.

Questions About Your Repair Options?

Call Gonz Auto Collision Center at (561) 588-1401, or stop by our shop at 1401 North Dixie Highway, Lake Worth Beach, and we’ll help you understand your options before you commit to a repair shop.