They cannot insist on when the car is repaired, you have a duty to mitigate your losses so if the matter is prolonged and it affects the amount they have to pay out due to the delay they can possibly pay the original amount.

They want to pay the garage directly so they have a paper trail and most importantly so they get a VAT invoice from which they can reclaim the VAT.

They also want to draw a line under the matter so they know what their total costs are in addition it may be connected to their financial year ending in April

"...due to the location of the body shop repair garage..."

Something's not clear here. Are the lorry company saying you must go to"their" repair shop? If so, I'd be concerned. Your partner surely has the right to have the car repaired at a body shop of his choice, at a convenient location.

My inclination would be for him to report the accident to his insurance company as a non-fault incident and let them handle it, with the aim of recovering the excess from the lorry company. (He does have the lorry company's admission of guilt in writing, yes?)

I get uncomfortable when I hear stories about the at-fault party wanting to avoid involving their insurers.

The accident will have to be reported to your partner's insurance anyway.

Edited by FP on 08/04/2014 at 17:41

So, as I understand it, they've admitted liability, in writing, but don't want you to go through insurance.

They then want you to use their preferred body shop, where no doubt they get good rates and a VAT recoverable receipt, they won't offer a collect and drop service, and/or a replacement vehicle while yours is in for repair, presumably. On top of that they're pressuring you to book it in when it's not really convenient and expect your partner to lose working time to suit them.

Yeah, right! Don't want a lot do they?

I think I'd be giving them two options; my way, if they don't want to go through insurance or, alternatively, I would want their insurance details for me to pursue my claim and enable me to get the repairs done where I approve and at my convenience. Yes, you have a duty to mitigate the loss but not to the extent where it causes you grave inconvenience and loss of earnings or work to yourself.

In other words, it's their fault, they've admitted so, and therefore it's for them to satisfy you, within reason, not the other way round.