Body Shops Keep Busy In Wake Of Winter Weather

Russ Porter co-owns Carolina Auto Body and Repair. He said he cannot accomodate all the calls because like most other area shops, he is backed up bumper-to-bumper from accidents related to last month's ice storm.

"Our phone started ringing yesterday morning about 9 a.m. and hasn't stopped yet," he said. "We've probably had 75 different calls on ice-related damage. We've got half of those vehicles fixed now. The rest are scheduled in."

Add 11 deer accidents just this week to cars damaged in everyday wrecks, and Porter said his shop is full.

"Before the ice, we were working more or less from week-to-week, and since this ice storm, we've really gotten bombarded with a lot of work, which is good for us. But the only bad thing about it is everybody wants their vehicle fixed right now," he said.

However, Porter and other shop owners said that is not going to happen. Some shop owners say certain repairs could take months to get to. Porter is prioritizing his repairs -- cars that cannot be driven get fixed first.

"We've tried to get these people that are definitely in worse shape in and out first," he said.

Because there can be a wait, you might be tempted to take your car to the first place that can get you in, but there are things to remember before you choose.