Insurance claim question

bourney

Hi,

My car was hit from behind the other day causing damage to the bumper, wing and boot. The other driver completely at fault.

I took it to a body repair shop today to get a quote and they estimate around £500 worth of repairs, around the value of the car.

I'm going to be going through the other drivers insurance and was just wondering what I'm best to claim for? The car is likely to be a write off but I would like to keep it as it is in perfect mechanical condition with 12 months tax on it.

Thanks,

Sgt_Pepper_2

bourney wrote: »

Hi,

My car was hit from behind the other day causing damage to the bumper, wing and boot. The other driver completely at fault.

I took it to a body repair shop today to get a quote and they estimate around £500 worth of repairs, around the value of the car.

I'm going to be going through the other drivers insurance and was just wondering what I'm best to claim for? The car is likely to be a write off but I would like to keep it as it is in perfect mechanical condition with 12 months tax on it.

Thanks,

Claim for a replacement car.

Quentin

bourney wrote: »

......I'm going to be going through the other drivers insurance and was just wondering what I'm best to claim for? The car is likely to be a write off but I would like to keep it as it is in perfect mechanical condition with 12 months tax on it.

Write and tell them you hold their insured responsible, and ask that they pay for all your costs, enclosing the quote you have got.

Then take it from their reply. (But they won't pay for uneconomic repairs, and maybe will go down the write off route)

McKneff

Speak to the insurers and see what they say, they may make you an offer, you are not obliged to accept their first offer.
When you are satisfied, ask them if you can buy the car back.

Have you sent the insurance company the quote from the bodyshop.

Make sure you also inform your own insurance company and tell them you are dealing directly with the other party's ins. company. Its in your terms and conditions that you must do this.

marywooyeah

is it a possibility that the other driver could pay you directly for the repairs and not go through the insurance companies? is that allowed?

Quentin

It's allowed, but why would he want to do that? (The same rule applies whoever has to pay up - they don't have to pay for repairs if they aren't economical.)

The garage bill alone looks like £500 (£600 if VAT not included in the quote)!

whitewing

You would get a refund of some of the tax if you sent the disc back. You wouldn't be out of pocket for a whole year's worth.

thenudeone

Quentin wrote: »

It's allowed, but why would he want to do that?

It's allowed for you to accept that payment as settlement for the damage but, under the terms of the other persons' insurance policy they almost certainly aren't allowed to admit liability or make such an offer without the insurer's permission.

It's universal for insurers to put these conditions in their policies because if you take a civil case against other party, the Road Traffic Act makes the insurers liable for it.

That's not your problem, though, and it might speed things up for you to accept the offer if you think it's reasonable.