In most cases, you can. If you are going under your own insurance, they will generally allow you to choose. In some cases, you may be pressured to choose a body shop from an approved list or to get several estimates. In either case, the best way to make sure your own body shop does the work is to have your shop call your adjuster. The body shop has a great deal of experience in working with adjusters and will generally be willing and able to get the approval on your behalf. Be wary if your body shop is reluctant to do this for you--this is a sign that the shop may be overcharging which could leave you stuck paying the difference.

The advantages of using your own insurance includes prompt approval of a rental car if you have the coverage (often called additional transportation expense). If you do not have the coverage or otherwise need to obtain approval from the at fault company, you can expect a delay. Insurance adjusters will not make a determination of fault without an investigation, even if the fault appears obvious. And with no determination of fault, there can be no approval of a rental car. The only alternative is often to rent a vehicle on your credit card. Be sure to rent a comparable vehicle and ask for the rental company's insurance rate. Also let the adjuster know all of the details of the rental as soon as possible and press for a formal approval. These steps will help avoid a dispute over the rental bill later and can even help speed up your claim--the adjuster has an incentive to minimize the rental expense.