An accident is stressful enough without having to work out how the insurance side works. Here’s how a car insurance claim usually runs from the moment of the accident until you collect your repaired car, and what you can do at each step to keep it moving.
What should I do straight after an accident?
- Make sure everyone is safe and move out of traffic if you can.
- Take photos of all the cars involved, the damage, number plates and the scene.
- Exchange details with the other driver: name, ID number, phone number, address, registration and their insurer if they have one.
- Report the accident at a police station within 24 hours and ask for the accident report (AR) number. Insurers usually ask for it.
- Don’t admit fault at the scene. Leave that to the insurers.
Step 1: Register the claim
Call your insurer or broker as soon as possible, or use their app. You’ll get a claim number, and everything after this point is linked to it. Have your policy number, the AR number, your photos and the other driver’s details ready.
Step 2: Get your car to an approved repairer
Most insurers work with a list of approved repairers, so check your policy or ask your broker. Technicolour works with the major South African insurers. If your car can’t be driven, we can arrange to collect it, and if you can’t come to us, we can do the quotation at your home or office.
Step 3: Quote and assessment
The repairer inspects the car and prepares a detailed quotation listing every part, panel and hour of labour. The insurer’s assessor then checks the damage and the quotation. Together they agree on what gets repaired, what gets replaced, and which parts are used. Depending on your policy and the age of your car, the insurer may approve original manufacturer (OEM) parts or approved alternatives.
Step 4: Authorisation
Repairs start once the insurer has authorised the quotation. When the damaged parts are stripped off, there’s sometimes hidden damage behind them, such as a bracket or sensor that couldn’t be seen before. When that happens, we photograph it and ask the insurer for an additional authorisation, so the repair is complete and you aren’t surprised later.
Step 5: The repair
This is where the repairer’s quality shows: straightening or replacing structural parts, panel work, paint matching and refitting. For modern cars, the repair has to follow the manufacturer’s methods, especially on aluminium bodies and electric vehicles, so it pays to use a repairer approved by your car’s manufacturer.
Step 6: Quality check, excess and collection
Before handover, the car is checked inside and out. You then pay your excess. The excess is usually paid to the repairer when you collect the car, or deducted if the insurer settles in cash. Your insurer confirms the amount and how it’s paid. Keep your invoice and warranty documents safe.
Will I have a car while mine is being repaired?
Check your policy first, because some policies include car hire. Technicolour also offers courtesy cars and can collect and drop off your car, so ask us when you book.
What if my car is written off?
If the repair would cost too much compared with the car’s value, the insurer may decide not to repair it and settle the claim according to your policy instead. The assessor and insurer make that call. If you’re unsure about their decision, ask your broker to explain it.
How Technicolour helps with your claim
- We handle the claim with you. We liaise with your insurer and the assessor, so you don’t have to chase anyone.
- Approved by the major insurers and 28 vehicle manufacturers, including Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volkswagen, Toyota and Ford.
- Full aluminium structural repair certification for Audi, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz, and ready for electric vehicles.
- Courtesy cars, pick-up and drop-off, and mobile quotations.
- Repairing cars in Bloemfontein since 1994, a SAMBRA member, and Telesure Regional Repairer of the Year 2026.
Common questions are answered on our FAQ page, and you can read more about our accident repairs.
Start your repair
Already have a claim number? Send it with a few photos on WhatsApp to 066 121 8489, call 051 435 5375, or visit us at 13 Mill Street, Hamilton, Bloemfontein (Monday to Friday, 07:30 to 17:00). We’ll take it from there.
