You've just been in an accident. Your heart is still pounding. And before you've even caught your breath, the insurance adjuster is on the phone with a calm, friendly voice telling you something that sounds completely official:
"Go ahead and take your car to one of our approved shops. That's the only way we can guarantee the repair and process your claim quickly."
It sounds like a rule. It feels like a rule. But here's the truth every Georgia driver deserves to know:
It is not a rule. It is not the law. And in most cases, it isn't even true.
You have the legal right to choose any collision center you want, including BR Auto. The insurance company does not get to make that decision for you. They just hope you don't know that.
What Georgia Law Actually Says
This isn't an opinion. It's written into Georgia law.
Under O.C.G.A. § 33-34-6, your right is spelled out in black and white:
No insurer can tell you that using, or not using, a particular repair shop "may result in the nonpayment of a claim." And no insurer can require you to use a particular repair facility to settle your claim.
Translated out of legal language: the insurance company cannot tell you where to get your car fixed, and cannot threaten your claim over it.
Georgia has some of the strongest anti-steering laws in the country. These laws specifically prohibit insurance companies, adjusters, and appraisers from forcing or pressuring you into using a shop they prefer. The choice belongs to you, the person who owns the car, pays the premiums, and has to drive it home when the repair is done.
"Steering": The Quiet Tactic That Costs You
When an insurer pushes you toward their own network shop, the industry has a name for it: steering. And it's exactly what it sounds like, gently steering you away from the wheel so they can take control of your repair.
Insurers do this through what they call "preferred" or "direct repair" shops (DRP shops). Here's the part they don't advertise: those shops sign agreements with the insurance company, and those agreements are built to keep the insurer's costs down, not to protect your car or your safety.
Think about whose side that arrangement is really on.
A shop that answers to the insurance company has pressure to cut corners, cheaper aftermarket parts, faster turnaround, lower repair counts. An independent shop that answers to you has only one job: fixing your car correctly.
Myth vs. Truth: What They Say vs. What's Real
Myth: "You have to use one of our shops."
Truth: False. You can choose any licensed shop in Georgia.
Myth: "We can't guarantee the repair unless you use our shop."
Truth: The shop warranties the repair, not the insurer. A reputable independent shop stands behind its own work.
Myth: "Your claim could be delayed or denied if you go elsewhere."
Truth: Georgia law specifically forbids insurers from making this threat.
Myth: "Our shop is faster and cheaper for you."
Truth: Faster and cheaper for them. Often with aftermarket parts and lighter repairs.
Myth: "Just sign here and we'll handle everything."
Truth: "Handling everything" can mean handling it their way, on their terms.
The One Thing You Should Know (So You're Never Caught Off Guard)
Here's an honest detail most shops won't tell you, but we will, because honesty is how we've earned Roswell's trust for over a decade.
Georgia law protects your right to choose your shop as long as the repair can be done properly at a fair and reasonable cost. That's actually good news. It means the answer isn't to pick the cheapest shop or the most expensive one, it's to pick a shop that writes a complete, well-documented estimate and knows how to communicate it to the insurer.
That's exactly what we do. We document every panel, every part, and every hour of labor your car truly needs, and we deal directly with your insurance company so you don't have to fight that battle alone. If the insurer and the shop ever disagree, most policies even include an "appraisal clause" that brings in a neutral third party to settle it. The system is built to protect you, when you have a shop that knows how to use it.
A Georgia-Only Bonus: Diminished Value
Here's something most drivers in other states can't claim, but you can, right here in Georgia.
Even after a perfect repair, your car is now an "accident vehicle" on paper, and that lowers its resale value. Georgia is one of the few states where you can recover that lost value, called diminished value, from your own insurance policy.
Insurers rarely mention it. A shop that's truly on your side will make sure you know it exists.
The Law Is Getting Even Stronger
In 2026, Georgia lawmakers introduced new legislation to tighten these protections even further. The proposed bills would make it crystal clear that insurers can't require you to use a shop they have a financial interest in, and can't threaten reduced, delayed, or lower-quality repairs to push you toward their network, even on liability-only claims.
The message from your own state government is loud and clear: your car, your choice.
(These bills are still moving through the legislature, but they reflect exactly where the law, and your rights, are heading.)
What To Do After an Accident, Step by Step
- Make sure everyone is safe and document the scene with photos.
- Report the accident to your insurer promptly. You're required to notify them, but you are not required to use their shop.
- Choose your shop first. You can bring your car straight to BR Auto for an estimate before any adjuster tells you where to go.
- Tell your insurer where your car is. Simply say: "I'm using BR Auto Repair & Collision Center in Roswell." That's all it takes.
- Let us handle the insurance side. We'll write a complete estimate and work directly with your carrier.
How To Push Back on Steering (Use These Exact Words)
If an adjuster pressures you, stay calm and say:
"Under Georgia law, I have the right to choose my own repair shop. I've chosen BR Auto Repair & Collision Center. Please process my claim accordingly."
That single sentence ends the conversation. You don't have to argue, the law already settled it.
And if an insurer ever tells you, in writing or on a recorded line, that your claim could be denied or delayed because of your shop choice, you have the right to file a complaint with the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner. Knowing that alone changes the conversation.
Why Drivers in Roswell Choose BR Auto
We're a family-owned and operated collision center that has served Roswell and the surrounding Atlanta area for over a decade, built on honest recommendations, certified technicians, and repairs we stand behind.
We work for you, not the insurance company. We'll fight for the full, correct repair your car deserves, handle the insurer directly, and get you safely back on the road, often the same day for smaller jobs.
Don't let anyone tell you where your car has to go. It's your car. It's your choice. And it's your right.