Damage Review & Photos
Visible and hidden damage is inspected, photographed and documented in the detail carriers need to approve the correct repair.
↗Insurance Assistance
You pick the shop. Not the carrier.
We document the damage, keep the repair conversation organized with your insurance company, and handle supplements when hidden damage turns up. You stay informed the whole way.
Overview
A recommendation is not a requirement.
Insurance carriers maintain networks of preferred shops and will often steer you toward one. That is a suggestion. In Connecticut, the decision about who repairs your vehicle belongs to you.
Once you tell your carrier which shop you have chosen, the claim can be processed there. We handle the rest of the conversation so you are not stuck relaying technical repair details between two parties who use different vocabulary.
The most common source of friction in a claim is the gap between the initial estimate and the actual damage. First estimates are written from what is visible, sometimes from photographs. Once the damaged area is disassembled, additional damage almost always appears.
We photograph and document that damage and submit it as a supplement. This is a normal part of the process, not a dispute, but it does require someone to actually do the documentation work rather than quietly repairing around the problem.
Throughout the repair you hear from the shop directly. If a part is back-ordered or an approval is holding things up, you know about it, rather than calling to find out nothing has happened in a week.
What’s included
How we support your claim.
The administrative side of a repair, handled so you do not have to.
Carrier Communication
We keep the technical repair discussion organized with your insurance company so you are not translating between two parties.
↗Supplement Handling
Damage found during teardown is documented and submitted for approval so it gets repaired rather than skipped.
↗Towing Coordination
Call us before the vehicle is moved. We help get it to the shop instead of a storage lot that bills by the day.
↗Estimate Walkthrough
We go through the estimate with you in plain language so you understand what is being repaired, replaced and why.
↗Repair Status Updates
You hear from us about parts delays and approval holds instead of finding out by calling.
↗Worth knowing
Call the shop before the tow truck decides for you.
After an accident, a tow truck often arrives before you have made any decisions, and the vehicle can end up at a storage facility that charges daily. Calling us first means we can help direct the vehicle to the shop and keep those fees from stacking up while the claim gets sorted out.
What to expect
How the process works.
STEP 01
Call Us First
Before the vehicle is moved, call the shop. We tell you what to document at the scene and what the carrier will ask for.
STEP 02
Open the Claim
File with your carrier and tell them your vehicle is going to Exclusive Auto Lab. That is all it takes to direct the claim here.
STEP 03
Inspection & Documentation
We inspect, disassemble where needed, photograph everything and build a repair plan the carrier can act on.
STEP 04
Repair & Updates
Work proceeds as approvals come through, with supplements submitted for hidden damage and status updates along the way.
Serving Greater New Haven
Insurance Repair Help in Greater New Haven.
Dealing with a claim after an accident? Exclusive Auto Lab provides insurance claim assistance in North Haven, CT, including damage documentation, carrier communication, supplement handling and towing coordination.
We work with claims from all major carriers. The important thing to know is that the choice of repair shop is yours, and a carrier recommendation does not override it.
Serving North Haven, New Haven, Hamden, Wallingford, Cheshire, Branford, East Haven, West Haven, Meriden and surrounding Connecticut communities.
Questions
Frequently asked.
Does my insurance company get to pick the body shop?
No. Carriers maintain networks of preferred shops and will recommend one, but in Connecticut the choice of repair facility is yours. Telling your carrier which shop you have chosen is enough to direct the claim there.
Do you work with all insurance companies?
We work with claims from all major carriers. The process is similar across companies: damage is documented, an estimate is agreed on, and supplements are submitted for additional damage found during repair.
Who pays my deductible?
Your deductible is your responsibility under the policy and is due at pickup unless your carrier has arranged otherwise. Be cautious of any shop that offers to make a deductible disappear, since that creates problems for you, not just for them.
What happens if the repair costs more than the estimate?
That is what a supplement is for. Additional damage found during teardown is photographed, documented and submitted to the carrier for approval before the work proceeds. It is a routine part of most collision claims.
Will a claim affect my insurance rates?
Rate decisions are made by your insurance company based on your policy, your history and fault determination, not by the repair shop. Your agent is the right person to ask before you decide whether to file.
Should I get multiple estimates?
You can, but you are generally not required to. An estimate written from a photo or a quick walkaround is a starting number, not a final one. What matters more is that the shop documents hidden damage properly once the vehicle comes apart.
The work
A closer look at the work.
Reference images showing the kind of work involved. Follow our Instagram for current jobs coming through the shop.
Also at the shop
Related services.
Ready when you are
Talk directly with the shop.
Call, text photos, or request an appointment online. We will tell you what to expect before you bring the vehicle in.
CALL OR TEXT ANYTIME203-308-7381VISIT THE SHOP78 Rebeschi Drive
North Haven, CT 06473Schedule a VisitText the Shop
North Haven, CT 06473Schedule a VisitText the Shop