Accident repair
Accident repair in Biel/Bienne and the Seeland
Carrosserie K.I. in Biel/Bienne repairs accident damage on vehicles of all makes to manufacturer specifications. You report the damage online, upload the vehicle registration and photos of the damage and receive a reply within 24 hours; we handle billing with the insurer directly.
- All makes
- Direct billing with insurers
- Courtesy car on request
- Repair rather than replace
- Reply usually within 24 h
- German & French
Process
- 1
Report the damage online: upload registration and photos
- 2
Assessment by our specialists
- 3
Liaison with the insurer, appointment and, on request, a courtesy car
- 4
Repair, measurement, paintwork and quality control
- 5
Handover: cleaned and checked
How a professional accident repair is carried out in the workshop
With us, an accident repair does not start with the hammer but with dismantling. Our panel beaters remove the bumper, headlights and trim in the damaged area so that what lies behind becomes visible. The car body is then measured. If the measuring points deviate from the manufacturer’s values, the vehicle goes onto the straightening bench and is brought back to its specified dimensions with controlled pulling. Only then does the actual panel work follow: repairing or replacing parts.
The paint shop then takes over: the repaired surfaces are primed, filled, sanded and painted in the precisely determined colour. During reassembly, add-on parts, seals and trim go back into place and the panel gaps are adjusted. Modern vehicles then need their driver assistance systems calibrated, meaning camera, radar and parking sensors. The job ends with the final inspection, including a function test, reading out the fault codes and cleaning. This way you get your car back safe and visually flawless after accident damage.
Panel damage or structural damage: what has to be measured and straightened
Panel damage affects the outer skin: wing, door, bonnet or bumper are dented or scratched, while the load-bearing structure is intact. Such damage can often be fixed by beating out the dent, repairing the panel or replacing a bolted part. Damage is classed as structural when chassis rails, wheel arches, sills, pillars or the boot floor are deformed. These components determine how the vehicle behaves in a further impact and how the axles sit in relation to each other.
The difference cannot always be seen from the outside. A seemingly harmless rear-end collision can compress the crash beam behind the bumper or damage brackets and sensors. Where there is any suspicion, we therefore measure the car body and the axle geometry and straighten whatever is outside the tolerance. Hidden damage often only shows after dismantling. For this reason our indicative quote is a guide figure; the final price is set after the inspection, and we always discuss additional work with you first.
Electric car, hybrid, aluminium and assistance systems after an accident
Electric and hybrid vehicles demand particular care after an accident. Before any work is done on the vehicle, the high-voltage system must be de-energised and secured in line with the manufacturer’s specifications. Battery housing, high-voltage cables and charging port are checked in the damaged area. Many of these models are also partly made of aluminium or high-strength steels. These materials behave differently from classic sheet steel and are straightened, bonded, riveted or replaced according to the manufacturer’s specifications instead of simply being beaten out.
Then there are the electronics. Radar sensors sit behind the bumper or the badge, cameras behind the windscreen, ultrasonic sensors in the bumpers. Even a slightly displaced bracket or a coat of paint that is too thick in front of the radar can impair the autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control or lane keeping assist. After the repair, these assistance systems (ADAS) are therefore checked and calibrated in line with the manufacturer’s specifications. We repair all makes, from the small petrol car to the electric SUV.
Accident repair for Biel, the Seeland and the Bernese Jura
Our body shop is located at Südstrasse 2 in Biel/Bienne and is just as easy to reach from Nidau, Brügg, Lyss, Aarberg, Studen, Ins, Erlach and Murten as from Grenchen or the Bernese Jura, including La Neuveville, Tavannes, Saint-Imier and Moutier. You do not need to come in for an initial assessment: in our online damage report form you upload the vehicle registration and photos of the damage. You receive an indicative quote incl. VAT within 24 hours on working days.
If the vehicle can no longer be driven or you are short of time, we collect it on request, and a courtesy car is available on request for the duration of the repair. We advise you in German and French and settle directly with every insurer. Important if your policy names a partner garage: with us you pay the same excess as you would there. If your policy charges a higher excess for choosing your own workshop, we cover the difference. This saves you up to CHF 1'000.
For customers from the region, with our workshop in Biel: Body shop Nidau, Body shop Brügg, Body shop Port, Body shop Orpund, Body shop Pieterlen, Body shop Aarberg.
Frequently asked questions
Can I choose the body shop myself after an accident?
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Yes. In Switzerland you are generally free to choose the workshop. Some comprehensive policies with a partner workshop discount may include a restriction. We check this for you free of charge.
What should I do first after an accident?
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Make the accident scene safe, look after anyone injured, complete the European Accident Statement and take photos. Then report the damage to us online. We take care of the rest, including the insurer.
Will I get a courtesy car?
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On request we provide a courtesy car for the duration of the repair, subject to availability. Whether the insurer covers the cost depends on your policy.
Who pays for the repair if the accident was not my fault?
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As a rule, the third-party liability insurer of the person who caused the accident. You then pay no excess. A completed accident statement and photos are important. On request we bill the other party’s insurer directly; the circumstances of the accident and the policies are what count.
Do I have to wait for the insurer’s assessor?
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For larger damage, the insurer generally wants an assessor to inspect the car or to check the quote first. We arrange this for you and start as soon as approval is given. Small claims are often approved on the basis of photos and our quote. Your insurer decides what applies.
Related services
Insurance claims handling
Third-party liability, partial or fully comprehensive cover: we communicate directly with the insurer and the assessor.
Car paintwork & spot repair
Colour-matched paintwork, and thanks to spot repair only as much as necessary.
Hail damage
Hail dents pushed out without repainting: the original paint is preserved, handled via partial comprehensive cover.
Save up to CHF 1'000
The same excess as at your insurer’s partner garage
Many policies charge a higher excess if you do not go to the insurer’s partner garage. With us you still pay only the excess you would have there: we cover the difference. That way you save up to CHF 1'000 and still choose your body shop freely.
CHF 50 less
CHF 50 less than your partner garage’s quote
Bring the written quote of a partner garage or an independent body shop for the same repair: we do it CHF 50 cheaper, for example CHF 450 instead of CHF 500, incl. VAT. The on-site damage assessment is free in Biel/Bienne, Orpund, Nidau, Brügg, Safnern and Port.
No appointment, no waiting.