Have you ever wondered who gets the check when you have an accident? There are several factors in determining who will get the check when you file a claim. 

If the other person was at fault when you got into an accident then you will get the check to take to the repair shop. This is the least hassle for you when filing a claim. Most of the time the other party’s insurance company will want to see at least three estimates on the repairs and will go with the least expensive cost to repair. This is a third-party accident claim.

If the car is considered totaled in the accident, the check will go to the lien holder. Then the remainder or balance of the loan will go to you minus your deductible, if you were at fault for the accident.

If you were at fault for the accident and your car requires repairs, the check will be in your name and possibly the lien holders name as well. If you have a lien with a bank, they may require seeing the car after repairs are finished to the vehicle. If the check is in both the lien holder and the second party’s name then both signatures are required on the check before the release of the car. Getting the signature from the lien holder can take many weeks to get. In this case, if your lien holder is a bank, they may require that they see the car after completed work to ensure that the repairs are correct. The best way to ensure that is to take it to the dealership and have them to inspect it and then sign a statement saying the repairs are complete. Then the lien holder will sign the check for you to take back to the repair shop. This will require you to do some more legwork and it can take a few weeks to receive you car back. 

If you decide to use one of the insurance company’s repair shops then you might not see the check at all. The repair shop will get the check.