Can I keep my damaged Honda CR-V instead of having it written off?

Last Sunday a car ran into the back of my 2001 Honda CR-V while I was stopped. The lady’s car is a write-off. The lady has admitted liability. The insurance appointed repairers have told me it is very likely that my Honda will probably be a write-off too. This is because they would have to use genuine Honda parts, making repairs uneconomic. It was mentioned that the insurance company could make me a financial offer and let me keep the car. The damage caused is that the tow bar got knocked down, causing the floorpan in the boot to buckle, plus a damaged bumper, exhaust, number plate and number plate lights. The garage assessor said that I could easily do most of the work myself although the tow bar would be a thing of the past. I would love to keep the car so could you please tell me the implications of going down this road.

Asked on 6 April 2013 by AH, Sheffield

Answered by Honest John

Interestingly, where insurers want to make a car an economic write-off for the reason you state, I have been recommending this third course of action and it is increasingly being made available to policyholders. Case law has held that you are entitled to be put back in the position you were in before the damage was done, and this can be by being paid 'market value' for the car, which will be somewhere between trade price and retail. The option you are being offered enables you to keep a car that may be worth more to you than the settlement figure. But it’s important that the insurer does not record the car as a ‘Class D’ or ‘Class C’ write off.

Tags: insurance accidents write offs

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