Car write off and reinsure

diamond_dave

Friend of mine backed into a car recently causing damage to both cars. She admitted that it was her fault and because of the age of her 54 Fiesta Flame 1.4 Churchill have said hers is uneconomical to repair. The damage to hers is slight just a dent  which I could easily tap out ( I wouldn't bother to repair it) but she wants to keep the car as it's in great condition. Question: what happens next? If she keeps it and gets it repaired herself will her insurance be cancelled and if so as it's a write off will she still be able to insure it say with another company? Any help would be great.

Brie

Uneconomical to repair is different to a write off.  Normally, as I understand it, you get paid a sum for the car and then but the car back or you get paid a sum for the damage but get to keep it.  Check with autotrader or similar what that make, model, year, precrash condition would get to give you an idea of the possible payout and again for a damaged car for value you might need to pay.

400ixl

Uneconomical to repair is the same as a write off. If it is just cosmetic damage it will be a category N which does not need to be re-registered or MOT'd.

Some insurers will allow you to buy the car back and continue to have it insured. You may need to pay up the policy in full if it is currently on instalments, but most allow you to keep it insured, although there are a few who don't.

This will usually leave you with the car and then some additional money to get it repaired so is worth considering.

diamond_dave

Thanks guys

Aretnap

She will not have any trouble insuring a car that has been previously written off. The vast majority of insurers don't ask and don't care, though read the assumptions carefully as there are one or two who do include something like "the car has not previously been written off" in the assumptions. Besides that, the only difference it makes is that were it to be written off again the second payout would be somewhat lower to reflect the fact that its market value is reduced a bit by the write-off marker.

diamond_dave

Thanks Aretnap