Car scrapped by insurer without telling us.

A colleague at work had her car shunted in the door it is an 05 plate. She made an insurance claim and arranged to have the repair done by the insurance co.. She took the car in for repair last Wednesday. Today she rang to find out if it was ready. To her amazement and us at work she was told that it had been scrapped as a class 3 and was now in Cornwall 200 miles away. She had not been informed this would happen.

She hired a car during the period the car was in for repair and now finds she as no car, has no idea what money she will get from the insurance company and will now need to hire another car as she travels 80 miles a day. She was not given the option to have the car repaired independently nor does she know if it has not been crushed. She may get the car back if she pays for it!

The insurance company has been no help in the matter. Can you advise to what she should do?

Asked on 28 August 2012 by Peter

Answered by Honest John

She needs to go and see a solicitor and immediately take proceedings against the insurance company for all of her losses. It is inconceivable that a dented door should write a car off. Someone has made a mistake here, but the insurer has to pay for it.

Tags: insurance legal issues

Similar questions

My daughter's previous insurer didn't notify her of a CCJ against her - should they indemnify her?

My daughter was involved in a minor supermarket car park incident three years ago. She denied responsibility at the time, which her insurers (Direct Line) seemed to accept, and the incident remained on...

I bought a Cat N car, which is actually a Cat S write off - what do I do?

I’ve bought a car through a salvage auction site. It's registered as a Category N write off, but upon inspection of the car at my local garage, the car has structural damage to the rear subframe and possibly...

A vehicle I've driven for six years has just been revealed as a write off - what do I do?

I have a Ford Torneo that I bought in 2011. I have owned the vehicle for six years. When I bought the minibus, it had a V5 with two letters attached from the DVLA. The letters said their had been a discrepancy...