Is this a total loss / write off?

Divorcing

Hi All

I was reversed into in Dec last year to the rear of my car and then again to the front off side in Jan. Both initially denied liability but have now admitted blame.

I've had estimates and they are £1250 and £1650 respectively and given the car is worth £3250 I assumed the car would be a total loss but my insurers are saying it isn't as although it would be one repair it would be split and looked at individually.

I do not think this is right as for example if I'd been hit front and back in 1 accident it would be a total loss so how does it being 2 separate accidents make a difference to the financial viability of repair?

Just to be clear I would prefer the car declared a total loss as there are alot of different areas on panels that need respraying (boot, rear bumper & panels, door, wing and front bumper) and in my experience they can never blend them perfectly.

tykesi

Surely the insurance company have the say in this and a bunch of strangers' opinions is irrelevant.

If the insurance company want to repair I'd imagine that's their perogative. You could try arguing but I think it's their decision ultimately.

Why not get it repaired then sell it straight away and get the new car you obviously want?

Ozzuk

I'm guessing they are pursuing costs from potentially two different insurers so they will be treated as two separate claims. What you are proposing sounds logical but if their procedures don't allow it then it sounds like you are stuck.

InsideInsurance

Divorcing wrote: »

Hi All

I was reversed into in Dec last year to the rear of my car and then again to the front off side in Jan. Both initially denied liability but have now admitted blame.

I've had estimates and they are £1250 and £1650 respectively and given the car is worth £3250 I assumed the car would be a total loss but my insurers are saying it isn't as although it would be one repair it would be split and looked at individually.

I do not think this is right as for example if I'd been hit front and back in 1 accident it would be a total loss so how does it being 2 separate accidents make a difference to the financial viability of repair?

Just to be clear I would prefer the car declared a total loss as there are alot of different areas on panels that need respraying (boot, rear bumper & panels, door, wing and front bumper) and in my experience they can never blend them perfectly.

How old is the car? What make/model?

So, for the first incident the car was worth £3,250 and so a £1,250 repair bill represents 38% of the cars value so certainly not a total loss.

Now the second accident has happened against a vehicle that has some existing damage and so the car is no longer worth £3,250. How much you need to deduct off depends on the type of vehicle, how bad the damage is, how old it is etc - ie basically would someone live with the damage or would they most likely want to repair it.

Take a fairly middle of the road estimate of 65% of the repair costs and the car was actually worth about £2,440 at the time of the second accident. Therefore the £1,650 of new repairs represents about 68% of the value which on an older car is unlikely to be a total loss.

Even if the second accident did result in it being total lossed you would only be entitled to its pre this accident value (ie c£2,440). The difference between it and the £3,250 you say it was worth before the first accident would need to be pursued against the first accident defendant

TrickyWicky

Got to be honest, I'd prefer a repair rather than the hassle of trying to find a new car.

This thread is a prime example of a throwaway society that we live in.

jaydeeuk1

Reversed into twice in 2 months? What car is it, a dodgem?

londonTiger

I wonder if theyre going repair approach because they're claiming off other insurance therefore can make a referral fee. I doubt they would want to repair if OP was at fault.

Also bodyshop costs for doing both bumper together probably isn't a huge deal more expensive than doing just one bumper.

Same prep, materials, paint, paint run, baking etc.

It's a good time to be OPs insurer here.

[Deleted User]

Are you seriously saying it takes the "Same prep, materials, paint, paint run, baking etc." to repair two bumpers as one?

Please tell us your business :rotfl:

londonTiger

do you read?

do you understand batch production?

do you know that paint costs, setup, mixing takes a large amount of time per repair?

Do you know that a car in for repair needs to be kept in storage which takes up space in their yard. So each car has a storage overhead. A car with two repairs has lower storage overhead than two cars with 1 repair each

[Deleted User]

I read quite well thankyou.

I am not sure from reading your posts that you can read or understand.

I would like to know where you get your repairs done as both repairers that I personally know quite well would not charge the "Same prep, materials, paint, " for two bumper repairs.

Go into a garage and tell them what you have stated I am sure they will love you.

InsideInsurance

There is without question economies of scale by getting the two repairs done at the same time, even without being an expert on cars that is purely logical. Now is that a saving of 15 minutes of labour and £10 of paint or something a lot more I am not in a position to say

The difficulty here of cause is that they are two separate accidents and so will have to have two separate invoices so that it can be recovered from the two separate third parties. Half the time with reasonable sized garages all estimates/ invoices are simply done by computer systems and so as they will be invoiced separately the economies of scale are probably lost from the bills.

Typically insurers dont pay for things like storage at their approved repairers or courtesy cars etc as these are just effectively built into the labour rate charged.