Damage by bin lorry

bunglebear0

Hi Everyone.
I've had a note put on my windscreen from the bin men. They had put some really nasty scratches along my car. I called the number left and she just said all I need is your insurance details and address. That's it? What will happen now? My car is 15 years old, and only worth a few hundred but someone just told me it'll most likely be wrote off because it'll cost more to repair than what the cars worth. Thing is although its old, it works perfectly, flies through MOTs and is well looked after. For the money I would get I wouldn't get something as reliable.
Can anyone fill me in on what might happen.
Thanks

EdGasketTheSecond

If it is just respray and not panel replacement then you might get that done. You could always take it to a body shop for a quote and compare that to the market value to get an idea how it will work out. If it looks like being written off but you don't want to lose the car then you can see if you can buy back the car from the insureres (salvage) after they write it off but insurers don't have to offer this. If they don't then your only options are take the money and lose the car or withdraw the claim and live with the scatches or fix them yourself.

daveyjp

If the car is reliable ask the Council for an ex gratia payment of a few hundred quid, rather than the having the hassle of insurance writing it off etc.

bunglebear0

Thanks for your advise. Its really helpful.
I say scratches, but its actually gouges(don't know how to spell that!)
Looks a right mess.
I will ask about for some quotes as a start point. I will also ask the council if they would be willing to pay out, might save them having to go through insurance.
Thank you both

missile

Good for the bin men owning up :A

[Deleted User]

Refuse the insurance company's first offer. Just because the car is old and worth nothing, why should it be written off especially when it's reliable and you know the history of it etc.

Insurance companies are scum and I have no loyalty to them.

jk0

I wonder if o/p even needs to give his insurance details? Are the council trying to claim on his insurance?

Car_54

bunglebear0 wrote: »

Thanks for your advise. Its really helpful.
I say scratches, but its actually gouges(don't know how to spell that!)
Looks a right mess.
I will ask about for some quotes as a start point. I will also ask the council if they would be willing to pay out, might save them having to go through insurance.
Thank you both

It's very unlikely the council will go through insurance - their excess is probably far too high.

BTW is it really the council, or a private contractor? But the point about the excess remains the same.

Manxman_in_exile

jk0 wrote: »

I wonder if o/p even needs to give his insurance details? Are the council trying to claim on his insurance?

I wondered about this too. Bin-men appear to have accepted it's their fault. Why are the council asking for the OP's insurance details? The OP ought to be asking for the council's insurance details and making a claim against their (the council's) third party's claim department.. Nothing to do with OP's insurers, but he probably needs to inform them of the incident.


(PS - the council my be trying to exchange insurance details after the fact of the collision. I would have thought this does not necessarily apply if the OP was not present during the collision.)

iammumtoone

I had a car hit by a bin lorry, knocked the wing mirror off. I don't think they would have owned up, I saw it happen.

It never went through insurance and they didn't ask for my details. A man came out to repair it, talking to him he did quite a few repairs for the same reasons.

I think the council just paid him to do it, I don't think he was via their insurance I doubt they get insurance involved for cheap/small jobs I bet it happens a lot.

loskie

claim direct off their insurer. The car will be written off, settle on a cash value(haggle) and buy the car back off them which will not cost much. Then get it repaired cheaply or live with the damage.
Only issues are it will have a catd or c marker on it which isnt really a hindrance.