Remember a week ago when I said there was no damage to my car from the minor traffic accident I was involved in. I was wrong. It turns out that road grime is really good at covering up damage. After washing my car last weekend, we noticed a dent on the hatch. Crap!
I contacted the driver of the other vehicle and let him know. I took my car to a great local body shop (Countryside Collision Center, Inc. in Zimmerman) and got an estimate. Originally we were hopeful that paintless dent removal should pop the dent out. Well, with Chuck’s trained eyes and a clean car, we were able to see a definite crease in the metal (creases are bad) and a place where the skin had pushed against a support and pushed it out. The estimate to get it fixed is almost $1000. Wow! I didn’t think it would be that much. Nearly all is labor.
Lesson Learned! Don’t assume there is no damage and go on your way. There is ALWAYS damage! Get your car checked out by a reputable body shop. And always file a police report. Protect yourself.