Potential insurance write off - old car

Harrygolucky

Hi everyone

we recently had our neighbour reverse into our trusted old Toyota Avensis estate - it's a 2003 plate and solid as a rock and has been a great servant over the years. It's now in the hands of the insurers - our vehicle was parked outside the house at the time and it's a clear case that the neighbour was at fault.

My big concern is that the damage is going to cost considerably more to repair than the value of the vehicle and I am expecting the insurers to come back with a paltry sum and want to write it off. Book value is around £500 and I expect the repair bill to be at least 4 figures. It's all cosmetic (dents and scratches) but it looks a real mess

Just wondering what my options are if this happens? - we recently spent £600 on a full service, MOT and exhaust so I'll be fuming if they won't repair it.

If an insurer wants to write something off then the sum should at least allow us to replace it with something similar in decent condition (which would be very unlikely because of it's age) If a third party has caused 'X' amount of damage to a vehicle then it should be covered regardless of book value.

I guess I'm jumping the gun a bit but it would be nice to have a bit of a plan when the insurers call

thanks in advance

steve

Bigphil1474

They won't offer you more than the car is worth in its current condition, irrespective of what you've spent. If it's all cosmetic, ask them to let you keep the car and they give you the difference. It will probably mean £500 minus about £30. You get the difference to spend on what you want.

ratrace

No unfortunately they dont take what you have spent on it into consideration even if you put a new engine init at say £1500 they will pay book value

you could buy they car back off them for cheap as chips and then repair it your self if you really want the car im sure used bumpers and bit wont cost all that much, i know its a crap situation to be in as this was not your fault but in real life these things happen

it happend to us as our next doors son drove in to my old car but what can you do no one was hurt thats the main thing

Aylesbury_Duck

Had a similar situation years ago with a similar Toyota workhorse. A man drove into the back of me and badly dented the bumper and the hatchback. It was a Carina with a huge hatchback which would have cost more to replace than the value of the car so it was written off. I got the book value minus scrap value and bought it back, giving me something like £1100 of which I spent about £250 getting a bumper from the scrapyard, straightening out the hatchback, isolating the sensor so the car wasn!!!8217;t permanently registering the boot open and getting a new MOT from a government test centre. Net result was a perfectly good car that ran for five more years until I scrapped it and cash in the bank.

Car_54

Harrygolucky wrote: »

My big concern is that the damage is going to cost considerably more to repair than the value of the vehicle and I am expecting the insurers to come back with a paltry sum and want to write it off. Book value is around £500 and I expect the repair bill to be at least 4 figures. It's all cosmetic (dents and scratches) but it looks a real mess

Just wondering what my options are if this happens? - we recently spent £600 on a full service, MOT and exhaust so I'll be fuming if they won't repair it.

If an insurer wants to write something off then the sum should at least allow us to replace it with something similar in decent condition (which would be very unlikely because of it's age) If a third party has caused 'X' amount of damage to a vehicle then it should be covered regardless of book value.

The insurer's position will be this:

You are entitled to be put back in the same position as you were before the accident. Unfortunately, that means back to driving a £500 car:(.

All cars need servicing, and replacement of wearing parts like exhausts, and MOTs after 3 years. The £600 you spent did not add to the car's value, merely maintained it.

Harrygolucky

"The insurer's position will be this:

You are entitled to be put back in the same position as you were before the accident"

that's exactly my point and I totally agree.
However, theres a good chance they won't put up the money in order to do that

Aylesbury_Duck

If they don!!!8217;t provide the book value, you can negotiate by providing evidence of the car!!!8217;s worth, but as others have said, maintenance costs and replacment of consumable items like exhausts, brake pads, etc don!!!8217;t add to the book value. They were your costs to replace items you wore out. Without you having spent £600 recently, the car wouldn!!!8217;t have been worth £500 because presumably it wouldn!!!8217;t have passed the MOT.

Harrygolucky

thanks for the responses,

the way I see it (and in all cases similar) if the claim is against a 3rd party the insurer must either:

a) restore the car to the condition it was in before the accident
or
b) offer a realistic compensation amount that allows you to buy a similar vehicle (type, condition, age)



I guess I'll have to wait and see

Car_54

Harrygolucky wrote: »

thanks for the responses,

the way I see it (and in all cases similar) if the claim is against a 3rd party the insurer must either:

a) restore the car to the condition it was in before the accident
or
b) offer a realistic compensation amount that allows you to buy a similar vehicle (type, condition, age)

You're right, but the "realistic compensation amount" will usually be the valuation shown in the trade guides (Glass's etc.). This is in line with the Ombudsman's guidelines.

EdGasketTheSecond

I don't think the insurer is obliged to sell you the scrap so you might not get your car back at any price. Neighbour near me had to drop the claim entirely to avoid losing the car and no repairs were done.

Your other option might be to get a quote for repairs yourself and sue your neighbour for that amount. They will presumably pass it on to the insurers who, so long as it is not extortionate, will probably pay up rather than battle in court about its book value.

Muscle750

Do not take the first figure they offer you either