My S40 was involved in a multi-vehicle collision while it was parked. Thankfully, the person at fault is insured with Progressive. Has anyone ever dealt with them before in a similar situation? Is it better to choose you own body shop or go through them [Progressive] and a body shop in their network?

I want the car to receive a thorough inspection and be repaired accordingly. I don't want surprises later on and ongoing issues as a result of the accident. The majority of the damage was to the back of the car, though the front sustained a few scrapes. I was able to drive it home and there are no leaks. Ideally I'd like the whole car to be repainted.

 

I would suggest you get new tires too. If the car skidded from the impact it will flat spot the tires. This will be very slight and masked by the suspension until the tires wear and the "thump, thump" starts to wear out the shocks and your nerves. Of course this will be months later and you will be hard pressed to get any payment.

For a body shop ask your own insurance company agent. They usually will give the best advice if they are not paying for the repair.