Home Accident Repairs
Assessment • Authorisation • Repairs • HandoverAfter a collision, Sterling helps coordinate your vehicle assessment, authorised repairs and progress updates through a suitable repairer. We explain the next steps, keep the right parties informed and arrange quality checks before handover, subject to claim eligibility and approvals.
After an accident, a repair rarely stalls because nobody is willing to do the work. It stalls because an assessment is waiting on photographs, an authorisation is waiting on an engineer, or a part is waiting on a decision that nobody has been asked to make.
Our job is to remove those gaps. We take the details once, brief the repairer accurately, keep the authorisation moving and tell you where things stand. Where a third party or insurer has to approve something, we chase that approval rather than leaving it with you.
Repair coordination is subject to claim eligibility, liability and applicable terms. Decisions that rest with an insurer, engineer or third party remain theirs.
A repair estimate does not itself mean the work or every cost has been approved. Check which organisation is responsible for the claim and obtain its instructions before authorising paid repairs or changes to the agreed scope.
Where repairs are claimed under your motor policy, the insurer decides the authorised scope according to the cover and terms. An excess may apply, and using a repairer outside its network can affect how repair quality or guarantees are handled.
Where another party accepts liability, their insurer may propose a direct repair arrangement. Compare the estimate, choice of repairer, replacement transport and any written settlement conditions rather than assuming approval is automatic.
Sterling can coordinate assessments, repairer instructions and approval requests. The insurer, engineer or other authorised party still controls the relevant decision. Some arrangements may involve separate repair or credit-hire contracts with their own cost obligations.
Before work begins: ask what damage is covered, whether the insurer has approved the estimate, which parts and methods are specified, whether an excess or contribution applies, and who would pay for any disputed or unauthorised work. Report the collision to your own insurer even if you intend to use another route. GOV.UK accident notification guidance.
Timings vary with the extent of the damage, parts availability and how quickly third parties respond. The sequence, though, is consistent.
You send the accident details you know. Photographs can be added now or after the call-back if you are not with the vehicle. We review the circumstances and practical repair needs.
If the vehicle is not safe or legal to drive, we look at arranging recovery to a suitable location and secure storage while the assessment is arranged.
The repairer inspects the vehicle and produces an estimate. For more detail on this stage, see our vehicle damage assessment after an accident guidance. Where the claim requires it, an independent engineer reviews the damage, method and cost.
We put the assessment to whoever needs to authorise it and answer the questions that come back. If the vehicle turns out to be uneconomical to repair, we explain what that means and what your options are.
The repairer orders parts and books the vehicle in. Where a part is on back order, we tell you rather than leaving you to wonder why nothing is moving.
Structural work, panel repair or replacement, refinishing and reassembly are carried out to the method agreed at authorisation. Additional damage found during strip-down is raised as a variation, not silently absorbed or ignored.
Where a repair affects cameras, radar, sensors or geometry, the repairer carries out the checks and calibrations the vehicle requires before it is signed off.
The completed repair is inspected against the authorised work: panel alignment, paint finish and match, fastenings, road test where appropriate, and a check that nothing has been left outstanding.
Qualifying repairs receive the Return Ready package before your vehicle is handed back, along with a record of the work carried out.
The repair runs more smoothly when both sides know what is expected. Here is the split.
The right repair method depends on the vehicle, the material and where the damage sits. A bonded aluminium panel is not repaired the way a steel wing is, and a structural member is not straightened on a hunch.
We expect network repairers to work to the method appropriate for the vehicle, to record what they have done, and to raise anything that changes the plan rather than improvising.
Repair or replace is decided at assessment, documented in the estimate and authorised before the panel is touched.
The estimate states what parts are being used. Where a part type affects the claim, that is raised before it is fitted, not afterwards.
Where the repair touches driver-assistance sensors, restraints or geometry, the required checks and calibrations are carried out and recorded.
Damage that only becomes visible once panels come off is documented and re-authorised, so nothing is quietly skipped.
Repair methods and part specifications follow the requirements applicable to the vehicle and the terms of the claim. Sterling Accident does not claim manufacturer approval or accreditation for its network on this page; where a specific approval is required for a repair, we will tell you whether it can be met before the work is authorised.
A repair is only finished when someone has checked it properly. The completed work is inspected against what was authorised, not against what would be quickest to sign off.
If something is not right when you collect your vehicle, tell us. We would rather put it back into the workshop than have you drive away unhappy.
Ask for a clear record of the repairs and examine the vehicle before accepting handover. Safety-related concerns should be checked by a competent repairer before the car returns to normal use.
Who handles a poor-repair complaint? Responsibility depends on who arranged the work and the agreement. The Financial Ombudsman Service's vehicle-repair guidance explains how it considers complaints about insurer-arranged repairs, delays and workmanship. A complaint about an independent repairer is not automatically a complaint against an insurer. Read about accident-related ADAS checks.
You should never have to guess what is happening to your vehicle.
We contact you when the assessment is done, when the repair is authorised, and when a completion date is confirmed — plus whenever something changes.
Keep your claim reference or registration number ready when emailing the claims team at claims@sterlingaccident.co.uk. We can explain the current repair stage and who is responsible for the next decision.
At collection you get a record of the work carried out and the chance to inspect the vehicle before you take it away.
Qualifying repairs completed through the Sterling network may include the Return Ready care package: an oil and filter change where suitable, screenwash top-up, tyre-pressure check, interior vacuum, exterior wash and a 12-month vehicle health check, in accordance with the applicable terms.
Applies to qualifying repairs completed through the Sterling repair network. Oil service suitability, oil specification and filter availability follow the vehicle manufacturer's requirements, and inclusions are subject to Sterling Accident's published terms.
It depends on the extent of the damage, how quickly the assessment is authorised and whether the parts are available. We do not quote a standard turnaround because it would be misleading. What we will do is give you the repairer's expected completion date once the vehicle is booked in, and tell you if it changes.
Tell us who you would like to use and we will look at whether the repair can be coordinated there. If a repairer cannot meet the requirements for the work — for example the equipment needed for a particular structural or calibration job — we will explain why and suggest an alternative from our network.
That is common, and it is handled as a variation. The repairer documents the additional damage, we put it forward for authorisation, and the repair continues once that is agreed. It can add time, so we will tell you when it happens rather than letting the completion date slip quietly.
If the assessment concludes that repair is not viable, the claim takes a different route — typically a valuation and settlement discussion rather than a repair. We will explain the position, what the category means for the vehicle, and what happens to it next. Any settlement figure is a matter for the insurer or third party, not for us.
Matching is done from the vehicle's paint code and then adjusted against the actual panels, because paint ages differently in different conditions. Colour match and finish are part of the final inspection. If you are not satisfied with the match when you collect the vehicle, raise it with us straight away.
Possibly. It depends on claim eligibility, liability, availability and the applicable terms — it is not automatic. We will tell you honestly whether it is likely in your case before anything is arranged. Replacement-vehicle information explains how it works.
The relevant insurer, engineer or other authorised decision-maker approves work under the applicable claim route. If the repairer discovers hidden damage, it should document a revised estimate and obtain approval before proceeding with extra paid work. Sterling can coordinate the request but does not guarantee approval.
The available choice depends on your policy and the claim route. You may be able to use another garage, but insurer responsibility for workmanship, guarantees, any excess and approval of costs can differ. Ask your insurer to explain the consequences in writing before arranging work elsewhere.
Where accident damage or repair procedures affect cameras, radar or vehicle geometry, the repairer should follow the manufacturer-specific checks and calibration method. Ask for relevant scan, alignment and calibration results, or a documented reason why calibration was not required.
Record the issue promptly, contact the repairer and insurer or appropriate claim handler, and request an inspection or written remedy. Do not drive the car if it may be unsafe. For an eligible complaint about insurer-arranged repairs, the Financial Ombudsman Service may be able to consider the matter after the insurer's complaints process.
Yes. You can begin Sterling's accident report without a policy document or claim reference, and choose the photos-later option if you are away from the vehicle or it is unsafe to take photographs.
Each stage below is a separate decision point in a managed repair. Open the one that matches where your vehicle is now.
How damage is inspected and documented before the estimate and repair decision.
Who can authorise work, and what happens when repair requirements change.
How insurer-related repair decisions and communication fit into managed repairs.
How eligible non-fault repairs move through assessment, repair and vehicle return.
What makes a vehicle repairable and when repairs may be uneconomical.
Tell us where the damaged car is, whether it can be driven and the accident details you have. Photos can follow. Sterling can review qualifying recovery, assessment, repair coordination and replacement options; the relevant insurer or decision-maker approves repairs.
