Car in freak accident

Mickey666

I know all the arguments, but I still have a problem with this: "Your car was worth a grand, you now have the value of it - a grand."

THAT is a loss to me.  If I'd wanted £1,000 in cash I could have sold the car.  No, what I want is MY car.

Also, it should have nothing to do with MY insurance policy.  In this case, I'm the innocent party.  Someone has smashed up my car and I think it's reasonable that they pay to repair the damage they've caused. 

MovingForwards

Mickey666 said:

I know all the arguments, but I still have a problem with this: "Your car was worth a grand, you now have the value of it - a grand."

THAT is a loss to me.  If I'd wanted £1,000 in cash I could have sold the car.  No, what I want is MY car.

Also, it should have nothing to do with MY insurance policy.  In this case, I'm the innocent party.  Someone has smashed up my car and I think it's reasonable that they pay to repair the damage they've caused. 

The way round it is to get the replacement parts from cars in a scrappy, put all the replacement parts on your car, send the receipts to the insurance company and request settlement, provided it's within their allowable 60-75% of the PAV. 

eamon

You are flogging a dead horse with that way of thinking. What you want is impossible for the 3rd party and insurance co to deliver. I agree that it stinks and you are left having to pick up the pieces. Sometimes life isn't fair and there isn't anything that you can do.

Mickey666

eamon said:

You are flogging a dead horse with that way of thinking. What you want is impossible for the 3rd party and insurance co to deliver. I agree that it stinks and you are left having to pick up the pieces. Sometimes life isn't fair and there isn't anything that you can do.

Good summary.  Sadly.

jimbo6977

Philosophocal point:
At what point does "Your" car become a more complex version of Trigger's broom. 

Practical / financial point:
How about situations where parts are simply unavailable - are you expecting the negligent party to have one-offs hand made at exorbitant cost? 

Legal point:
Mitigation  of loss is a principle of civil law and is not a quirk of the insurance industry.

Mickey666

I don't think the philosophical point is particularly relevant - it is already unlikely to have the original tyres, brakes and other consumables.  The key point is that it is a fully working vehicle.

The practical/financial point:  I agree in extremis.  Thus, a burned-out car is going to be practically impossible to repair.  I'm thinking more of the 'middle ground', where say the repairs are only a few £k over the value and are eminently achievable.

Legal point:  yep . . . as summarised by eamon above I guess.

The_Rainmaker

So take the payout buy back the car and then get it repaired yourself and if you are smart you will have your car back together and a few quid in your pocket to offset the greater depreciation of a write off.

Insurance companies are very wary of cars that might have damage that is not visible at inspection, so safer to write off and shift liability on to someone who repairs salvage.

Supersonos

Grumpy_chap said:

The OP has also not given any indication of what fraction they have been offered of what they paid 4 years ago.  1% or 99% makes a big difference to the whole thread.

1% and 99% aren't fractions.

ElefantEd

Supersonos said:

Grumpy_chap said:

The OP has also not given any indication of what fraction they have been offered of what they paid 4 years ago.  1% or 99% makes a big difference to the whole thread.

1% and 99% aren't fractions.

1 / 100 and 99 / 100 respectively. The % means "out of one hundred", so the denominator is 100.

Supersonos

ElefantEd said:

Supersonos said:

Grumpy_chap said:

The OP has also not given any indication of what fraction they have been offered of what they paid 4 years ago.  1% or 99% makes a big difference to the whole thread.

1% and 99% aren't fractions.

1 / 100 and 99 / 100 respectively. The % means "out of one hundred", so the denominator is 100.

Yes, I know all this.  Hence why I said they're not fractions.  They're percentages.