Going through an accident and needing auto body collision repair can be stressful. It's important that you're well informed about collision repair to get your repair needs taken care of and get on the road again.

The following are six things you shouldn't assume about auto body collision repair. 

You can only go to the auto body collision repair shop that your insurance company chooses.

Vehicle owners should know that they have the right to choose their body shop. You don't have to go to the body shop that your insurance company chooses if you don't want to. You can shop around and choose your own auto collision repair shop. 

Your vehicle will have to be in the shop for a long time for collision repairs.

Your vehicle won't necessarily have to be in the shop for a long time when you have collision repairs done. Some collision repair shops may be able to perform even fairly extensive body damage fairly quickly.

When you look for a body collision repair shop, you can discuss the length of time the repairs will take and choose a repair shop that can meet your scheduling needs and get you back behind the wheel quickly.

You don't have to have collision repairs done.

Even if your vehicle still seems to be functioning properly, it's always best to have collision repairs done after an accident. Body damage could make it so that your vehicle won't pass inspection. Body damage can also detract from safety and efficiency when you're on the road. 

The collision repair shop won't be able to get your vehicle back in perfect condition once again.

Some motorists assume that their vehicle will never be the same after suffering accident damage. While the ability to restore your vehicle to its previous condition depends on the amount of body damage, auto body collision repair shops can often restore a vehicle to perfect condition after an accident. 

Your insurance company will pay for all the costs of your auto body collision repairs.

You will have to pay out some money to get body damage repairs paid for even if you carry collision coverage on your auto insurance policy. It's important to remember that your insurance company will not pay for collision repairs until you have paid the deductible on your policy.

You can only have OEM parts used for auto body collision repair if you have repairs done at the dealership.

If you want the highest quality repairs, you may want to specify that OEM parts should be used for your auto body collision repair. Some motorists assume that only the dealer can use OEM parts for auto body collision repairs, but this is not the case. Independent collision repair shops can also use OEM parts if you request them.