Accident Damage Help
 

Good afternoon all,

Well, it's not a good afternoon for me.... while I was eating my lunch at home a bus hit my car damaging o/s/f wing, alloy & ripped the bumper from the car. There maybe more damage that I haven't seen yet.
Fortunately, the driver left his details so I'll be claiming from their insurance on Monday. My fear is that this will result in a write off. Obviously I will fight this, I have spent far too much money on it in the past few months having the rot in the rear sills cut out & replaced - I had only just had the tracking done yesterday & was supposed to be having a stainless steel back box making up & fitted on Thursday!! - let alone in the years I have had the car to let them write it off.
Hopefully I can secure a payout so I can rectify the damage. To that end I am now on the hunt for replacement parts. If anyone can help with the below list I'll be forever in your debt;

o/s/f wing (maybe nearside too as there is rust coming through on mine)
Mk 1 bumper
Chrome grill
One Union alloy
Diesel undertray
Mk 1 projector headlight

I've still to check properly so I may have to add to the list.

Many thanks for whatever you are able to do, or simply for your support,

Rob

Hi Gino, sorry to read of your loss. I suspect Insurers will try and write the car off and give you the market value. IF you accept their offer after haggling try and keep the car as salvage and do whats needed if you can. Fortunately the "market" value of R75s is going up but not fast enough I fear. Good luck.

So sorry to hear of this. Don't take the insurance company's first offer. Good luck!

I have no intention of accepting the 1st offer, I have spent far too much to be insulted like that.
Unfortunately I fear I will have to be realistic & take a payout, I can't see them paying to have the work done. Apart from the parts I'll need, there's the respray to factor in plus any damage to the steering/drive shaft to consider.
I guess I'll be looking for a new Tourer in a week or two :mad:
To say I'm not happy is an understatement

Your worst case situation is the insurer paying out market value minus what they would get for it from a salvage company and allowing you to keep the car. Being able to show receipts for recent work to improve the car would increase the likely payout to an extent. Tracking is just maintenance.

At the end of the day, you do need to be realistic that it is a 19 year old car with a market value around its scrap value. Discussing the offer with the insurer's valuer/engineer politely as opposed being on the offensive charged with emotion would be my recommendation. The engineer will not be out to insult you!

These things happen. It's not the end of the world - as I kept reminding myself when first my pride and joy Rover 820 and later Rover 420 were written off many years ago. :mad:

Sad news but at least you have driver/company details and it was not a hit and run.

How about asking the bus company to foot the bill? You will still need to tell your insurance company but you wont be making a claim and write off should not be an issue.

How can I tell the difference between a projector and any other? I have a donor MK1 so I can check the headlight if I know what I am looking for.

macafee2

I'm very sorry to hear of this tragedy Rob. I hate to sound negative but we have to be realistic in situations like this. Other posts mention "market value". As I understand it, that doesn't come into it. If the repair cost exceeds the trade-in value, which it undoubtedly will, the insurer will write-off your pride and joy.

But all is not lost! What you'll need to do is to buy back "the salvage" (a horrible term) from the insurer then pay for your own repairs unless the bus company's insurer agrees to pay on the grounds that their client is entirely to blame as Ian has suggested:
That's true if Rob has a TPF&T policy but I expect it will be comprehensive in which case it's more difficult to achieve that outcome.

Simon

Thanks guys,

As much as I hate the thought I do expect the result to be a write off. And I do expect the payout to be much less than what I would need to get another in similar condition. I am insured fully comp, with a value of £1200 I think, I don't suppose that will make any difference. I certainly will be wanting to keep hold of the car so that I can remove all the parts I may need - its quite a list. All the brakes & suspension have been rebuilt front & rear, new fuel tank strap last week, the radiator & a/c condenser are only a few years old too. What irks me the most though is the rear sills. I brought the panels from Tom Hobbs & had them fitted by my friendly garage only a month or so back. Knowing the chances are I'll have to do the same again with the replacement is very annoying.

Macafee - thank you for the offer, don't worry about it just yet as I can't make a decision until I've spoken to their insurers. But thank you anyway :}

ask for a cash settlement instead of it being written off, this my be better for reinsuring but others can advise better I hope

macafee2

Cash settlement is what I'll be aiming for. I should imagine parts will be easy & cheap enough, it's just the respray that will be expensive. I had both front wings & bonnet done a few years back, that cost in the region of £500....
Not much I an do now until Monday, fingers crossed they'll be helpful.

Rob