Hi
I'm looking for some advice as i'm a bit lost with all this insurane stuff.
My Husband was hit on a roundabout by a van cutting across lanes and it dented all the front wing. It's a N reg Polo.
The insurance company has written it off, saying because it will cost £1k plus they will not do it. We are not in a situation to be able to just go out and buy a new car, even with a settlement offer which I'm sure would be tiny.
The van drivers insurnace company have not even had the accident reported to them, the first they knew was when my husbands company contacted them.
My questions are
a) Are we legally allowed to still drive it? Is it still insured?
b) How can they "write it off" when its just cosmetic? He's been driving it since the accident until they collected it for repair.
c) Surely it's the other insurance company who should be paying for it, it was the van driver who was at fault, why should we have to lose out for his driving.
I hope that makes sense, as I said i'm not big on insurance and it's ins and outs.
Thanks for any advice
Edited by Pugugly on 01/05/2008 at 19:42
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a) as long as it's roadworthy, yes, unless revoked
b) Your insurance company can write it off if they like, but if the third party is to blame, you can have it repaired at the expense and not involve your insures.
c) Your insurance co. would attempt to recover from third party, this typically takes 9 months, but they will usually setlle with you within a few months. If YOU can wait 9 months (you say it's just cosmetic) , consider claiming directly from the third party.
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My questions are .... I said i'm not big on insurance and it's ins and outs. Thanks for any advice
Claim direct from the third party. Contact Helphire or equivalent company to do it for you. Some of what you need to know:
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=62522&...f
As for the comment : " If YOU can wait 9 months " . I suggest you can ignore the 9 months bit. In that time one can produce a fully developed human baby. Unless your claim is very complex, it does not take anywhere near that sort of time.
Edited by jbif on 01/05/2008 at 17:10
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If an insurance company "writes off" a car, does that mean it's a "write-off" on the DVLA database?
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If an insurance company "writes off" a car, does that mean it's a "write-off" on the DVLA database?
See if HJ's FAQ www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/faq.htm?id=33 answers that particular question.
" INSURANCE WRITE-OFFS: When is an Insurance Damage 'Write Off' not written off? How do a get a fair payment if my car is written off? How do I stay on the road in the meantime? Read more... "
Flame's question is dealt with in that same FAQ too, as discussed in the thread I linked in my earlier reply.
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If an insurance company "writes off" a car does that mean it's a "write-off" on the DVLA database?
It's the HPI database, not DVLA and will go onto the register when the insurance company pays out.
As stated - claim directly on the other driver or his insurance. You may well gat a payout for repairs and keep the vehicle.
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I suppose it depends on the insurance company but a friend had her car dented by another car - requiring new passenger door and removal of large dent in rear side panel plus re-spray. A car had reversed into her at an oblique angle while she was parked - on a 'P' reg fiat cinquequento (sp?) - initially they wanted to write it off. She refused, saying she wanted to be back in the position she had been in before the accident. The insurance company arranged a hire car for her and had her car repaired at a repairer of her choice.
She did not involve her own insurance company but had the advantage that the driver of the car which did the damage was so horrified that they contacted their company immediately.
Perhaps you should go round a few repair shops and get quotes - the can vary enormously especially if the know it is an insurance job - then go back to the insurance company armed with these costs. The company involved was Co-Op Insurance - after her experience I am always tempted to go with them if only their quote was better!!
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Flame,
I've had all this in the past.
Don't lose sight of the fact YOU own the car, not the insurance company. Although you've paid for insurance and your insurance company has terms and conditions etc, YOU decide whether the car is going to disappear off into the ether and YOU decide whether it is going to be 'written off'.
My own example was with what is now a classic car, but then was driven on third party fire and theft. I very much did not want my car shown as being written off, as the insurance co. would inform DVLA and there'd be a marker (V23) shown against it, which would affect its' future value.
You've paid for insurance, you've had a problem and as long as the car is legal to drive you're entitled to keep driving that car if you wish. Ask the insurance company to deal with the matter on that basis i.e. you're keeping the car.
Do you know anywhere that could repiar it cheaper than the quote provided for the insurance company. That's what I did and all of a sudden they were interested again.
Some people would do a deal with a repairing garage and get a few more bits done as well, but obviously i couldn't condone that.
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b) How can they "write it off" when its just cosmetic?
I think the correct expression is "total loss accident". It means that because of the relatively high estimated cost of repairs compared to the value of the car it wouldn't be economic for the insurance company to pay for it to be repaired.
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I hope that makes sense as I said i'm not big on insurance and it's ins and outs.
This website explains about "total insurance loss" accidents. tinyurl.com/5xmakn
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In the past I've put in my own quote for damage to my vehicle not caused by me:
"To repair at my own cost, or loss of value, at my discretion".
This was cosmetic damage to a bangernomics vehicle. My quote was the lowest. The insurance coughed up pretty promptly!
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