Thumbs up volvo! (safety)

[so_long_suv]

hi all,
our decision to go with volvo are similar to neudaddy's very well put thoughts on his recent post. when we first picked it up (9 months ago), we were stunned at how safe we felt in the car versus the suv we gave up (after having 5 in a row). now being a grizzled volvo "veteran", i just kind of took the felling of safety for granted. not any more.
now this isn't a spectacular crash story, but as far as i'm concerned, it validates our choice of vehicle.
yesterday on the way to work, in a suburban downtown setting i had to come to a stop to allow a car in front of me to pull into a parking space. next thing i know i'm being thrown forward, kind of like being shoved from behind like kids do to eachother when they're horsing around. except in this case i'm in a car. i look in my mirror and see an suv w/ a woman w/ a terrified look on her face in the drivers seat. i don't know how fast she was going when she hit me but i'd estimate about 10mph. the seat design, w/ it's anti-whiplash headrest are what saved me from having anything more than a mild headache. like i said it wasn't a spectacular crash but it was certainly enough to have caused damage to my neck and back that are already shaky to begin with. damage to the vehicle is undetermined at this point, other than a bumper that most certainly needs to be replaced, along with some dings on the rear hatch door.
now i get to enter the fun world of auto insurance claims, one which i've thankfully avoided for the past 25 years. if you've gotten this far (and haven't gotten completely bored), does anyone have an opinion about auto body shops? is there any advantage of taking the car to a dealer over independent body shops, which after a preliminary discussion with my insur co, seems to be the way they'd prefer i go (which sets off my oh-oh antenna).
any thoughts,
sls

[littlewaywelt]

I'd go to the dealer, no question. They are familiar with your car and how it is put together and are more likely to recognize damage and know exactly how to fix it. They have found or outsourced a paint/body shop that they like and their customers have obviously been happy with. You'll also known that they have used Volvo parts for the repairs.

btw- glad to hear you're ok.

[bigtomhammer]

Good to hear that you are ok as well.  When I have to go to a body shop (weather it being a dealer or an independent) I like to see what other type of cars they are fixing.  If they are mainly fixing cheaper cars I try to stay away but if they are fixing upperclass cars I tend to go there.  Also, check with your local Better Business Bureau (http://www.bbb.org)
I have to check out businesses alot before I will go do business with them.  Also, make sure whoever you go to they are putting in new Volvo parts.  Good Luck.

[Supertoyz]

A common misconecption is that the "Dealer" is the most capable body shop. While this is sometimes true one needs to consider that all body shops differ in the quality of their tools & equipment, employee training and attitudes. Some shops choose to be top quality and make substantial investments in state of the art tools and training while others do not. Regarding being familiar with a particular make of car goes.......ideally yes, the dealer should be more familiar but I guarantee that a good high end body shop is familiar with nearly all makes of cars and what you learn from working on everything helps you become a more talented technician. If I was looking for a body shop I wouldn't blindly go to my dealer I'd search for a bodyshop with good references and a good warranty. I'd want to see the inside of the shop and see the techs in action as well as inspect some of the jobs that were nearing completion to see the quality. I was an insurance adjuster for 7 years and many times the dealers are the last place I'd take my car. Welding, body filling and painting is an art and some are good at it and some are not regardless of whether they work at a Volvo dealer or a standard body shop.......the guy doing the work doesn't care what the emblem on the hood says he's either a good bodyman or not.

[Chipshot]

I agree with Supertoyz.  My XC70 is presently in the hands of a Ford dealer whose body shop does a fair amount of work on Volvos leased by Ford Motor Company management-level employees.  Many people blindly assume that their dealer has a body shop.  Some dealers accept vehicles for body work but send them elsewhere.  Other dealers can only do minor "cosmetic" work and send vehicles out for major "structural" repairs.  Since time is often also a consideration, make sure to ask if the shop you are considering can get parts quickly.