Cincinnati hosts a number of delightful parks, museums, and major sports teams, and is the third largest city in Ohio. Unfortunately, like all large metropolitan areas, it has a great deal of traffic which can results in an auto accident in Cincinnati.

If you are involved in an auto accident in Cincinnati, the first matter of concern (like anywhere else) is always to seek speedy help for anybody who had been injured. The next most important task is to contact your insurance agent.

So let’s say you get in touch with your agent to tell him you have been involved in a Cincinnati auto accident, and he appears quite helpful. He will almost certainly advise a body repair shop you may take your car to.

You may think “Well, that is definitely a good thing.” That saves you the hassle of having to find a body shop on your own.. Besides, you wish to get your vehicle fixed at the earliest opportunity. But possibly you already know of a  body shop you would rather deal with.

So you explain to your agent you choose to take you car to a different body shop in Cincinnati. However he states something to the effect of “We won’t guarantee the repair should you go there” or “You need to pay extra if you go to the shop that you pick” or something similar.

So what to make of all this? You may be wondering exactly why he is attempting to dissuade you from picking your own shop.

The answer has nothing to do with offering you the convenience of not having to find a good repairer … but to make a profit, and as high a profit as possible! And that may be achieved by lessening the total amount they have to shell out in insurance claims.

So the “preferred” Cincinnati repair service your representative is directing you toward is without a doubt “preferred” … by the insurance company as it will save them money, but it might not act in your best interest. Why? Because the preferred shop has arranged (on paper) to utilize automobile parts that are less expensive than factory parts. But sadly, these parts are inferior in quality and might even result in an unsafe repair job! This might even mean that your vehicle will be unsafe to drive after the fixes are completed.

But picking the wrong Cincinnati body shop can lead to dangerous repairs for other causes as well. There’s a procedure known as “Clipping”, and that means cutting away a complete half of your car (either the front or rear half) and attaching another (undamaged) half of a car which was wrecked.

This method actually involves cutting through the vehicle’s unibody or frame, and it compromises its structural stability. Do you consider that this sounds hazardous? That’s because it IS unsafe! But sadly, it’s not against the law! It’s done on a regular basis.

So the bottom line is – if you are involved in an auto accident in Cincinnati – look out! Learn if the shop recommended by your agent will be repairing your vehicle with aftermarket components. And if the shop performs “clipping” … don’t even consider using them!