N_Scooby

iTrader: (2)

Hello. My mother has just had her parked car driven into. She was not in the car at the time and a bloke swung into the space next to her and shoved in the passenger door. The damage is purely on this door but has stoved it right in. The guy waited around (there were plenty of witnesses) and explained to my mother what he had done and admitted liability. There should be no problems in the claim.

Her main problem is that she is worried that the car will be written off because the cost of repair will be more than the car is worth. She has had this car from new is really happy with it. It is a 1998 Renault Leguna so is worth £500 tops.

Does she have any rights to demand that the car is repaired even if the repair costs more than the price of replacing the car?

Moley

iTrader: (9)

If they do write it off she should be able to buy it back and get it fixed herself.

N_Scooby

iTrader: (2)

Cheers Gary - probably the best person to have seen this thread!

scoobyross

Or get your own quotes, and ask the bloke if he will pay for it to avoid him losing his no claims providing it is not to much - without going through the insurance of course

LSherratt

iTrader: (1)

You either buy it back but it will be recorded as a CAT.d or you get a cheaper quote from your local bodyshop of around £300 (less than 66% of the estimated value of the car), email the quote to the 3rd party insurers and ask the insurers for a cash in lieu deal. If they say no then explain to them that it's more beneficial to them as they will be paying out less money compared to the write off cost of £500 (estimated value of the car). This way it won't be a CAT.d.

I did this with my older car when someone reversed into me and they wrote the car off but I declined the insurance offer (posted the cheque back to them) and got a cheaper quote from my bodyshop and asked for a cash in lieu. They said no at first but after lengthy phone calls and asking to speak to higher management explaining that it was more beneficial to both parties, they eventually gave in and I got my cash in lieu for the bodyshop quote and had it repaired without my car being written off. It shouldn't have been written off anyway because it was only a dent but the insurers bodyshop quoted around £3000. You can't trust the insurance game, you just have to beat it and keep on at them.

Tenby

iTrader: (1)

A door shouldn't cost much? See if the guy will do it privately