car accident - dealing with insurance ?

blue-kat

hi
I'm looking for advise on dealing with car insurance company, please
My partner rear ended another car on a roundabout today, it's his fault, no question.:o

the ins company said they may well write off the Fiesta as in their opinion it's low value ( bought for £1700 6 months ago) and had to be recovered as partner wasn't sure it was safe to drive home,plus daughter was freaked out and wouldn't get back in it.

all the front was smashed, bonnet crumpled, and bit of wing and wheel damage.
he also trashed the rear bumper and behind it of the other car. The driver and passenger have been in contact and are being reasonable.

any tips on what to expect, and how to deal with things, would be much appreciated.
thanks

blue_haddock

The insurance company will either take your car to their approved repairers or get you to get some estimates for the work. The problem being that the bodyshops will use brand new items to replace the damaged ones so the prices soon mount up plus your have their labour charges on top.

I would be highly suprised if the insurers decided to repair the car - it's just not economically viable.

Dan29

Yes it sounds like a write-off. Be prepared for the insurance company to offer you a derisory amount for it (assuming you have fully comp insurance of course). You can negotiate with them! Start gathering evidence of its value - other similar cars for sale, full service history, what a good condition it was in before the accident etc.

With the other party I'd advise you to let the insurance company handle it all. You'll probably have a form to fill in and a little picture to draw of the scene before and after the collission; be careful if you have to speak to your insurance company on the 'phone that they don't try to catch you out in any way.

Will they give you a free courtesy car while this is happening?

Oh yes and be prepared for your premium to go up by a huge amount next year even if your no claims bonus is protected

blue-kat

thanks for helpful replies
the recovery company have taken the car away to their place, I did wonder about asking them to bring it to our home, but too late for that now.
no courtesy car as it was excluded from the fully comp policy.
Dan29 : thanks for the tip, will start gathering evidence of value of the car.
re: only speaking on the phone: in what way might the insurance co try to catch me ( or rather my partner ) out?
he'd just had wing mirror replaced last week, and was due to collect wheel wing nuts tomorrow <sigh>.

Dan29

Well hopefully not at all as your partner is admitting blame anyway, and wasn't doing anything that might invalidate the insurance, but as they may take details from you over the 'phone and record them as "evidence", I think it's safer to put the circumstances in writing and keep a copy. It's just that it's in their interest to avoid paying out if at all possible so it would be bad if they called you in a few weeks and you couldn't remember exactly what you'd said the first time

Sorry, don't mean to sound paranoid or suggest that you'd have any reason to change your story, just that I believe it's safer to put it down on paper in your words rather than have them (mis)interpret what happened.

I'm sure none of this will be the case though and they'll pay up - although maybe less than you'd like.

I had a car written off with only minor damage once and after they paid out they allowed me to buy it back for about £50 so I could get it repaired myself but maybe you wouldn't want to do this, and the car would always be recorded as written off in any case, so wouldn't be worth much.

My neighbour crashed his Fiesta a few months ago though and it was written off for just a dented bonnet, cracked bumper and two broken lights. It was a very reliable car but as it was old (M reg I think) they paid him very little, and it could have been repaired quite cheaply and simply. As I say though, quite possibly not something you'd be interested in bothering with.

blue-kat

cheer Dan
partner's car is an S reg fiesta zetec and is a nice car apart from similar ( or bit more) damage as your neighbour inflicted on his fiesta.
we may well be interested in buying it back - if they do let people buy them back for reasonal price - and getting it done cheaply as that way he'd keep his car.

can't see that we'll be getting him a new one otherwise, which means me sharing my car:rolleyes:

he took all his bits and pieces out before it was taken away, but left the tax disc in. I've said to get it back as may be able to get a refund on it.

thanks for your help!
-
Katya

Dan29

Yes, definitely get the tax disc back, but remember to register the car as SORN so you don't get a fine (it's all done by computer now, not whether they spot the car on the road or not).

The rules on buying your car back may have changed since I did it, but it can't do any harm to ask. My girlfriend and I tried sharing a car recently; we lasted about a fortnight before I bought another one..!

UK_Doug

Two things. As an engineer from your description I would not reccomend repairing your car. The car crumples for a reason and that is to protect you, the metal breaks so you dont.
If you have crumpled the front end, repairing it will leave it looking better but in another crash it will not be that safe.

For the insurance company, on premiums and what you get from them. Negotiate. Call them back, an hour later, a day later, a week later. Always be polite and keep on calling back. Put what happened in writing, keep notes of every conversation you have, with names and details of who and what.
If the car is at a "yard" check that the insurance company is paying for its storgage. They charge per day. If not then insist they check it straight away.

blue-kat

thanks very much UKDoug - will get onto all of these points !
definately don't want to be going around in a weakened car.
-
Katya

exil

Been there I'm afraid! My own insurers were fine. Car was written off, was given a reasonable offer, bought a car about same age. Had protected no-claims but premium doubled next year, but dropped gradually after that. Still a lot cheaper than buying
a replacement car myself!

burbs_2

UK Doug is spot on. Cars have crumple zones, when they crumple the vehicle is massively weakend and for a car worth so little there will be no point in even bothering to repair it. If i was you i would be grateful you are not going to be messed around with repairs, easier life to just get it over and done with now.

Everything has already been covered really. Dont accept the insurance companies first offer, you are not obliged to. Check out a few prices so as you are not going into it blind. When they make the offer tell them thats not good enough, they usually hit back with a slightly better offer.