My Volkswagen Golf (2.0TDI, 140 bhp, 2004, 90k miles) was hit on 27th December whilst parked with no occupants in a residential area. The other party admitted liability and my vehicle is currently being repaired. I had to wait until 2nd January to hear whether it was economical to repair and will be without my car for 2-3 weeks in total.

The impact occurred at the front offside wing and wheel, and knocked my vehicle backwards 6 feet and also sideways so that the nearside wheels were lifted from the road up the kerb and onto the pavement, scraping half an inch of tarmac off the pavement in the process.

I do not recall whether the car was parked in gear. I have always taken a lot of care over my car, and had it serviced every 10,000 miles (shorter than the recommended interval). In the last 6 months I have had new rear brakes, discs, handbrake cable & caliper, glowplugs, throttle valve, coil spring and tyres. Additionally, my garage bills over the last 12 month period have been the highest to date (£2,009 for 2012).

I am concerned that the accident may have caused damage to the vehicle which is not immediately obvious, and will affect the longevity of parts old and new in the future. The assessor has agreed to replace part of the steering mechanism, the offside front tyre only and repair the bodywork to the wing, bumper and slight damage to the offside front door. He says there is no visible damage to the alloy wheels which have been scraped up the kerb.

I have declined the offer of a hire car whilst my vehicle is being repaired, and would much prefer to put any costs that otherwise would have been met towards a vehicle warranty for peace of mind in the future. Please can you advise what would be reasonable for me to expect and the best way to negotiate with the repairer and insurance company.