I have briefly mentioned the different types of damage in previous blog posts. However, I would like to take some time to thoroughly discuss the different types of damage to look for when writing an auto repair estimate.
The most obvious damage is going to be direct damage. This is the point of impact, which is very easy to identify. When repairing a vehicle, we have the first in last out rule. The point of impact would be the “first in” location of the damage. Therefore, this should be the last area to be repaired. The reason you need to know this as an estimator, is because if there is direct damage, there may also be indirect damage. This is the secondary damage, which is harder to identify. This is the damages that is caused by energy transfer during the collision. This may include buckles, popped spot welds, cracked seam sealer, and misaligned panel gaps. On unibody vehicles, secondary damage can occur throughout the entire vehicle, which will require a thorough inspection. There are actually five different damage zones during an accident.
- Zone 1 is the direct damage as mentioned above, the point of impact.
- Zone 2 is the indirect or secondary damage, which is cause from the force and direct damage.
- Zone 3 is the mechanical component damage. I am sure that you’ve heard the law “an object in motion tends to stay on motion”, well your mechanical components like your engine, transmission, drive train, can cause damage when in an accident. If the engine is traveling at 5o mph and the vehicle comes to a sudden stop, the weight of the engine is still wanting to travel at 50 mph. This can cause damage to motor mounts and other attachment points.
- Zone 4 is the passenger compartment. The same Newton law applies to people in the vehicle too. Passenger can cause damage to seat belts, knee bolster panels and other interior parts. This may also result in airbag deployment, which requires additional operations to repair the vehicle.
- Zone 5 included exterior components and trim. This is items that are attached to the vehicle. This is additional items that can be damaged or create damage during an accident. Another thing you may consider when inspecting the vehicle for damage are items in the vehicle. Were there heavy items in the trunk space or in the passenger comportment? A flying tool box can create damage to the vehicle. These are some things to keep in mind when writing auto repair estimates. Go through each zone in your head looking for damage to the vehicle.
Next we’ll discuss the predictable reaction a driver may have during an accident so check back soon.
