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Being involved in an accident is stressful. And the collision repair terms can get confusing. Here are some definitions....
Insurance Terms
Automobile Insurance: Coverage that pays for damage to your car or someone else's when involved in an accident caused by you or someone else. This is vehicle-to-vehicle insurance.
Aftermarket imitation parts: Usually defined as parts not produced by or for the original manufacturer of the vehicle.
Collision insurance: A form of automobile insurance that covers loss to the insured's own vehicle caused by its collision with another vehicle or object. This type of insurance does not cover bodily injury or property damage liability arising out of the collision.
Conditions: Explanations in the policy of your responsibilities and the company'; for example, how claims are to be filed and what proofs you must submit with your claim.
Coverage: Description in the policy of the specific circumstances under which you receive benefits.
Crumple zone: An area of the car that is designed to compress during an accident to absorb the energy from the impact.
Declarations: Listing of the details of your particular coverage, such as the policy number, kinds of coverage and amounts of money provided by each, your name and address, a description of your vehicle, the premium and coverage duration.
Deductible?The amount of a loss or claim you must pay before you can collect from the insurance company.
Estimator: An appraiser or insurance company representative who inspects a damaged vehicle and determines the cost required to restore the vehicle to the condition prior to the loss.
Exclusions: Descriptions of the situations under which you and your car are not covered.
Federal side impact standard: Effective with the 1997 model year, all passenger cars are required to comply with Standard 214, side impact protection, as defined in the Code of Federal Regulations. Simply put, the entire structure, floor to roof, of all cars must now be reinforced according to strict regulations. Interestingly, this standard does not yet apply to light trucks (minivans, compact pickups, SUVs).
Liability: Your financial responsibility incurred because of an accident.
Oblique crash test: A newer crash test where the cars collide at right angles to one another as opposed to head-on. This test is more representative of common passenger car accidents.
OEM parts: "Original Equipment Manufacturer" parts are designed and/or built by the original manufacturer of the vehicle. These parts are manufactured using the same material, design and manufacturing methods as the parts that were on the vehicle when it came from the factory.
Passive safety features: Features incorporated into the structural design of the car or feature which the driver cannot control. For example: crumple zones, bumpers, side intrusion beams and roll over bars.
Physical damage: A term indicating damage such as collision, comprehensive, fire and theft or any damage to the vehicle itself.
Premium:The cost of the insurance policy, usually paid out in periodic installments.
Rating?The process by which the price of your insurance coverage is determined. States are divided into rating territories. Your insurance company bases part of the price of your policy on the claims history of all the drivers it insures in your territory. Other factors such as your driving record and age also affect the rating.
Safe driver plan: A system in which points are assigned for traffic violations and certain accidents, and each point adds a percentage surcharge to the rating factor. It is similar to merit rating.
Salvaged:A vehicle totaled in an accident and then repaired. There is no guarantee of street worthiness for a salvaged vehicle. It may look good, but be hazardous to drive. The term may also apply to individual parts or systems that have been removed from a totaled vehicle for use in collision repair.
Supplemental payments: Court costs, bail bonds, expenses related to a lawsuit including defense, or any other specific payments your insurance provides which are not specifically listed in other parts of the policy.
Towing costs: Optional automobile coverage which pays the cost up to a fixed amount for the towing of a disabled automobile.
Collision-related Legislation
Consent?"Consent" requires that consumers give permission before certain non-new or non-genuine parts are used. The notice must take the form of a disclosure document with certain language in a legible type size. Since this legislation can vary from state to state, check with your state's insurance regulator for specific information.
Like kind and quality: The definition varies but often requires some certification of quality by an entity like CAPA. Some states have legislation in place that requires notice or consent prior to the installation of imitation parts and verbiage stating that the part and/or the warranty be of "like kind and quality" as those of the original manufacturer of the vehicle. This notice is supposed to remind consumers that the manufacturer of the imitation parts, not the manufacturer of the vehicle, provides any warranty associated with the part. Check with your state's insurance regulator for specific information.
Notice?"Notice" requires insurers or repair facilities to give notice to consumers that "aftermarket" (see definition above) parts were used in preparation of the repair estimate. The notice usually must take the form of a disclosure document containing specified language in a legible type size. This notice is supposed to remind consumers that the manufacturer of the imitation parts, not the manufacturer of the vehicle, provides any warranty associated with the part. Check with your state's insurance regulator for specific information.
Basic Auto Insurance Coverage Types
Bodily injury liability? Pays your legal defense costs and claims against you if your car injures or kills someone. Covers family members living with you and others driving with your permission.
Collision? Pays for repairs of damage to your car caused by a collision with another vehicle or any other object, regardless of who was responsible.
Medical payments or personal injury protection? Pays medical expenses resulting from an accident for you and others riding in your car. Also pays for you or your family members injured while riding in another's car or while walking.
Property damage liability? Pays your legal defense costs and claims against you if your car damages another's property. Does not cover your property, including your auto.
Other Important Terms
Anti corrosive? Materials applied to metal to give corrosion resistance.
Anti corrosive inhibitor? Protective coatings applied to metal surfaces to retard or prevent corrosion.
Baking? Application of heat to cure and dry a coating. In automotive refinishing, baking is used to speed up the drying of air-drying lacquers and enamel and is sometimes called force drying. The metal temperature in refinish baking usually does not exceed 180°F (82.2° C).
Betterment: An improvement that increases the value of the vehicle or part of the vehicle.
Clear coat? A clear, shiny coat of paint (e.g. urethane or acrylic enamel) applied over the base or color coat of paint on a vehicle.
Clip? A group of related vehicle parts purchased from a salvage yard as an assembly (usually the complete front or complete rear section of a vehicle). Also known as a Salvage Clip.
Color coat? The single stage or base coat that provides the final color of a coating system.
Corrosion? Chemical reaction of oxygen and moisture or other caustic materials on a metal surface. Usually referred to as rusting or oxidation.
Crush zone? A part designed to bend or crumple when involved in a collision.
Direct damage? Damage that occurs to a vehicle at the point of impact.
Depreciation: The decrease in value of the vehicle or part of the vehicle due to ware, tear, age, or obsolescence.
Estimate: The written determination made by an appraiser or estimator, upon inspection of a damaged vehicle, regarding the cost required to restore the vehicle to the condition it was in prior to the loss.
Fender flange; Outer rim or bend along the lower edge of a fender that gives shape and strength to the side of the fender.
Finish coat? The last coat of paint to be applied. The finish coat determines the amount of gloss.
Frame alignment: Procedure by which the damaged chassis of a car, truck or bus is restored to the manufacturer's specifications.
Indirect damage: Additional or secondary damage to parts or systems that may be the result of direct damage.
Powertrain? Motor, transmission and drive assembly - especially on front-wheel drive vehicles.
Quarter panel: A side panel that is generally one-quarter of the total length of the vehicle and extends from the rear door to the end of the car.
Recycled parts; Used vehicle parts bought from a secondary source.
Refinish? Term used to designate a part or a vehicle that is to be repainted.
Single coat: Usually referred to as a coat of paint - each stroke overlaps the previous stroke by 50 percent.
Spot repair: A job in which a small section of a panel is refinished.
Supplement: The document that is created when unforeseen additional costs for parts and procedures are necessary to complete a repair.
Unitized body construction:
Fabrication in which the frame and body are made out of a large number of sheet metal panels of varying sizes and shapes assembled and welded into a single unit.
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