Was recently in an accident and it turns out that I need to get my rear bumper replaced... insurance company checked out my car and totaled the expenses to cost around $1k... so they cut me a check for $1k minus my deductible and said that they are gonna try and get the deductible payed by the insurance company of the person who hit me... so now I'm wondering if I can just go ahead and perhaps get an A! rear bumper or something to replace my current bumper instead of just getting another OEM bumper... is it possible for me to do this or will the insurance comapny not allow me to do this? I already have a check from my insurance company in hand (although I still have to wait for my insurance company to settle with the insurance company of the person who hit me to get my deductible back) so I'm wondering if I go ahead and upgrade my bumper instead of just replacing it with an OEM one, would it screw up any of my insurance stuff? Thanks for any help!

company at all. Even if they were to check, it shouldn't matter to them whether it is a OEM or aftermarket bumper...besides, they (insurance companies) don't know their arse from the elbow anyhow. It's your car & you're replacing a part that needed to be replaced. My 2¢.

Im not a lawyer, but here's my experience.
1.
When they cut you the check, they likely gave you a waiver that showed that the bumper is no longer covered by your insurance until you can show that it has been repaired to normal. This prevents them from paying twice if the car is damaged again before you repair the bumper. All you should have to do is show them that you bought a new bumper and had it installed.
2.
They use aftermarket parts all the time when they are cheaper, (fenders, glass, etc.) how could they complain about you doing the same, especially when you already settled on the cost.

nt