can i repair a car before insurance inspection (own fault accident)

themorganator4

long story short:

own fault accident, my car suffered superficial damage but does need repair to be roadworthy (smashed headlights and bonnet crumpled slightly), I cannot afford the £1500 repair quote from the other driver as well as repairs on my own car so will need to go through insurance to cover her costs.

I really want to keep the car but as it is a 21 year old car it will be a write off, therefore can I repair the car myself before the insurance comapny inspect the car? I will be telling them that I have had it repaired, i won't be lying and saying there was no damage to start with. 

I don't want to risk them scrapping it and not letting me keep the car, is saying that I dont want to claim my costs good enough?

angrycrow

You have few options. 

1, simply don't claim for your own repairs from your insurer. Fix it yourself with second hand parts and continue driving it. 

2, ask your insurers if they will let you purchase the salvage if they write it off. If they agree they will pay you the value less what they would get for the salvage and less your excess. They will likely insist on a new mot before they will reinsurer it to show it has been safely repaired. 

3, if option 2 results in no payout due to the age and excess and it is too expensive to repair simply scrap the car yourself. 

One thing to consider is if the car is actually worth repairing with bonnet damage and a smashed headlight. I suspect there will be much more damage behind the front bumper.

Unless you are insured with Excess Direct you only pay your excess on your own damage. This means your insurers will pick up the third party claim with no cost to you. 

caprikid1

I see no reason not to repair it, take detailed photos of all the damage, keep any parts you take off. What I would say is that you play exactly into the insurance companies hands in terms of valuation. They know you have repaired the car, they know you want to keep the car so they will absolutely bid you into the floor on the value.

Sandtree

Speak to your insurers about why they want to inspect it... most likely its purely to authorise repairs or write it off and as such there is no need for the inspection if you are not intending to claim for your own damage. 

If they are wanting to inspect it as part of the defence against the third party then ask if you can send photos instead else they are likely to want to see it in its damaged state so they can argue that their expert has seen the damage and there is no prospects of such minor damage having caused £400,000 of personal injury damages... this happens exceptionally rarely!

Norman_Castle

The car remains yours until you accept a write off payment. They cannot demand you give them the car and take the payment. How much is the car worth? Let them asses the car then ask to buy the salvage if not offered.

AdrianC

Norman_Castle said:

The car remains yours until you accept a write off payment. They cannot demand you give them the car and take the payment.

If you're claiming off your own policy, then they certainly can.

And if you're claiming off somebody else's, they can certainly refuse to pay out until the car is collected.

Let them asses the car then ask to buy the salvage if not offered.

And, of course, they can refuse.

If the car is categorised A or B, then DVLA will never issue another V5C for it, either. Yes, this is unlikely in the OP's case... It's far more likely to be N, perhaps S if there is a risk of structural damage that the OP hasn't noticed.

Norman_Castle

AdrianC said:

Norman_Castle said:

The car remains yours until you accept a write off payment. They cannot demand you give them the car and take the payment.

If you're claiming off your own policy, then they certainly can.

And if you're claiming off somebody else's, they can certainly refuse to pay out until the car is collected.

Can what, demand you take the payment and take the car? As previously stated, the car remains yours until you accept a write off payment.

AdrianC

Yes, if your claiming from YOUR policy, then in claiming you delegate all decisions to the insurer.

Norman_Castle

AdrianC said:

Yes, if your claiming from YOUR policy, then in claiming you delegate all decisions to the insurer.

Insurers can write a car off and offer you a payment, they cannot force you to take it and claim a car is theirs.

T.T.D

AdrianC said:

Yes, if your claiming from YOUR policy, then in claiming you delegate all decisions to the insurer.

Erm NO! 

Your telling me that by merely taking out an insurance policy i forfeit ownership in the event of a claim? I simply don’t believe it and want to see it on paper, can you provide link please?

The OP is free to pull the plug on his claim as it’s not been recovered, he’s admitted fault but by doing so he may incur fee’s from the storage yard if it has been stored away from his home and administrative fees by his insurers for time served on administering his claim. By the sounds of it the vehicle is sat at his home. 

He’s free to call his insurers and instruct them he just does not want to claim for his own vehicle and settle third party only and that the bump should be held on file for informational purposes. 

AdrianC

T.T.D said:

AdrianC said:

Yes, if your claiming from YOUR policy, then in claiming you delegate all decisions to the insurer.

Erm NO! 

Your telling me that by merely taking out an insurance policy i forfeit ownership in the event of a claim?

No, that's not what I said...

But even IF you claim, and IF the insurer deem it a write-off, you don't FORFEIT it. They buy it off you for the market value. That's the very definition of a write-off.

You want a reference? Read your policy Ts & Cs.

Of course you're free to withdraw the claim... and sit there with a bent car and not a penny from the insurer towards it.