Insurance claims guide
You choose your repair shop. Always.
Your insurance company does not choose your repair shop. You do. Missouri and Kansas both have anti-steering laws that protect this right explicitly — they exist to prevent insurers from pressuring customers into their preferred-shop network for the insurer's benefit rather than yours.
What Missouri law says
Missouri requires every licensed auto body facility to display a posted notice visible to customers. The exact wording:
"Under Missouri law, the vehicle owner and/or lessee has the right to choose the repair facility to make repairs to their motor vehicle."
The law backing that notice is part of Chapter 324 (Professional Registration). Violations of anti-steering fall under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 374 (Department of Insurance regulation). An insurance company that tries to delay, discourage, or penalize your shop choice is committing a regulatory violation.
What Kansas law says
Kansas anti-steering protections are in the state insurance code (K.S.A. 40). Less ceremonial than Missouri's posted-notice requirement, but equally enforceable. Kansas policyholders have the same right to choose any licensed repair facility, and insurers have the same prohibition against interfering with that choice.
How the pressure actually shows up
Insurance companies rarely tell you flat-out that you must use their shop. What they'll say instead: "our network shop can get you in tomorrow" or "if you use our preferred shop we can guarantee the work for as long as you own the vehicle." Both statements are true. Neither obligates you to use their network.
Your answer is simple: "I'd like to use Hail Solutions in Olathe. Please work with them directly on the claim." The adjuster will say yes. That's the end of it.
Why this matters specifically for hail
DRP networks are built around traditional collision repair — body shops that do filler work, repaint, panel replacement. For hail damage, this is the wrong tool. Paintless dent repair preserves your factory paint and keeps CarFax clean. If your insurer steers you to a body shop for hail, they're steering you into a worse outcome for your vehicle's resale value.
Your right to choose is more than a legal abstraction — it's what protects your ability to get PDR on hail damage instead of body-shop filler and paint.
Related: PDR vs body shop · Kansas auto repair laws · Missouri auto repair laws
Shop-choice FAQ
Common questions about insurance steering.
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What's a DRP?
Direct Repair Program. A network of body shops an insurance company has pre-negotiated rates with. DRPs are optional for you but convenient for the insurer — they control cycle time, pricing, and documentation. They can suggest you use one. They cannot require it.
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What happens if I refuse their preferred shop?
Nothing. Your claim proceeds normally. The only difference: the insurer may require you to get an estimate from the shop you choose (which we provide free) before authorizing payment. That's normal and doesn't slow the process.
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Can they delay my claim if I pick a non-DRP shop?
No — that would violate state insurance regulations. Both Missouri (§ 374) and Kansas (K.S.A. 40) explicitly prohibit delay, discouragement, or retaliation against policyholders who exercise their right to choose a repair facility. If you suspect foot-dragging because you went out-of-network, file a complaint with the state insurance department.
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What about out-of-network warranty?
Insurance warranties are separate from shop warranties. Some DRP programs offer a "network warranty" on DRP-shop repairs. Our lifetime written PDR warranty isn't part of their program — it's ours, honored at our shop directly. The two coexist; you can use either as needed.