RIVERSIDE, Calif, August 17, 2026 – With summer travel raising the odds of a collision, Royal Collision, an independent auto body repair shop in Riverside, is reminding drivers that California law allows them to select their own repair shop for a collision repair insurance claim, regardless of which shop their insurer recommends.
Summer Driving Raises Collision Risk
Traffic risk rises during the summer, especially around holiday periods. IIHS says July 4 is typically one of the deadliest days of the year for motor vehicle fatalities.
More collisions mean more insurance claims, and more insurance claims mean more opportunities for a practice known as insurance steering. This most often surfaces in the process of insurance claims at the body shop decision stage, when an insurer pressures or misleads a policyholder into using a specific repair shop instead of the one the driver wants.
What Insurance Steering Looks Like
Insurance steering does not always look like an outright demand. It can take the form of a suggestion, a warning about delays, or a claim that a non-network shop cannot be trusted with a repair. A simple recommendation is not steering on its own. It becomes steering when an insurer continues pushing after a policyholder has already named a shop, or when the reasoning given does not hold up.
California regulation addresses this directly. Under California Insurance Code § 758.5, an insurer cannot require a specific repair shop, and after a claimant chooses a shop, the insurer generally cannot steer them elsewhere. The statute also says the insurer cannot reduce reasonable repair costs simply because the work is done at the claimant’s chosen shop. Repair warranties are generally offered by the repair shop, and insurers can provide truthful information about those warranties.
What Drivers Can Do
Consumer advocates in the collision repair industry echo the same principle. Consumers should use repair professionals who follow the necessary repair steps, prioritize safety, and follow OEM repair procedures.
Drivers who feel pressured to switch shops during a body shop insurance claim have practical options. They can state their shop choice in writing, ask their insurer for the specific policy language behind any pushback, and keep a written record of calls and messages. If pressure continues after a choice has been made clear, drivers can file a complaint with the California Department of Insurance.
"Drivers in Riverside need to know the choice of body shop belongs to them, not their insurance company," said Ryan Oeftering, owner of Royal Collision. "Our job is to advocate for a proper repair, not the cheapest one."
Royal Collision holds no Direct Repair Program agreements with any insurer, a structure the company says keeps its repair decisions independent of insurer cost arrangements. The shop follows OEM specifications and uses OEM parts as standard practice, and every repair carries a Limited Lifetime Warranty regardless of which insurer is involved in the claim.
A Reminder Ahead of Peak Travel Weeks
With travel volume expected to remain elevated through Labor Day, area drivers are encouraged to know their rights before an accident happens. Anyone with questions about an auto insurance claim for repair, or who believes they are being steered away from a shop they've already chosen, is encouraged to contact Royal Collision at (951) 276-4421 or ryan@royalcollisionriverside.com directly before signing off on a repair plan.
About Royal Collision
Royal Collision is an independently owned collision repair shop established in 2015. The shop performs OEM-spec collision repair in Riverside, CA, using OEM parts as standard practice and backs every repair with a Limited Lifetime Warranty. Royal Collision holds no Direct Repair Program agreements with insurers, a structure that keeps repair decisions independent of insurer-driven cost arrangements. The shop works with all insurance providers and serves Riverside-area drivers needing collision, structural, and post-repair inspection services.
Media Contact
Ryan Oeftering
Owner, Royal Collision
1260 Dodson Way
Riverside, CA 92507
Phone: (951) 276-4421
Email: ryan@royalcollisionriverside.com
Website: https://royalcollisionriverside.com/
