VW Golf - Fault Claim - Dealing with the insurance company.

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Thu 8 Oct 2015 13:46
VW Golf - Fault Claim - Dealing with the insurance company. - Lowrider

Hi,

I'm looking to see if anyone has experience/can offer any advice on my situation.

Due to a high wall obstructing my view coming from a side road, I edged forward on to the main road get a better view - possibly 12"s or so.

Sadly, a car travelling along the road collided with the very corner of my driver side bumper, which resulted in their passenger side wheel being pushed towards the wheel arch.

It all happened so quickly; I can't say for sure but the other driver may have been going too fast, and was too close to the kerb - but that is by the by now.

My car came away more or less unscathed, and after going to two local body shops, I've been told it requires a new bumper and a cross member. This is relatively cheap in comparison to what I would have to go through in the situation of a write off.

My insurer initially advised that due to the age of my car they wanted to write it off. If this happens they will cancel my policy, and I'll have to buy a new car and a new policy (which doesn't seem fair when I have nearly a full year of cover left, which was paid in full). Also the hassle of finding/viewing cars isn't something I want to go through at the moment.

I am now in a position where I feel I would like to get the car repaired at a local body shop, and pay for it myself. I don't want to give the insurers any reason to write off a perfectly sound car. The garage I'm going to use were the more expensive of the two I went to, and are very reputable (they came highly recommended by a friend).

Can I tell my insurer I do not want to proceed with a claim against the policy for my car? Can they force a write off if the car is mechanically sound and the damage is mainly cosmetic?

Any advice would be very appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

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Fri 9 Oct 2015 12:13
VW Golf - Fault Claim - Dealing with the insurance company. - Palcouk

You can withdraw any claim against your insurance, for your car, but your insurance company will be paying the claim for the third party, it being your fault, unless speeding can be proved, which it cannot.

Edited by Palcouk on 09/10/2015 at 12:14

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Sun 25 Oct 2015 00:14
VW Golf - Fault Claim - Dealing with the insurance company. - No_FM2R

As has been said, your Insurance company are going to be paying otu a claim, so it'll be on your record and affect your NCD.

I assume that your policy covers the damage to your own vehicle. I can understand why you wouldn't want it written off, but deciding you won't claim for it alll and will repair it yourself seems a it extreme.

  • If there isn't anything else to it, then you need to talk to you insurer and discuss the matter;
  • Is the *only* reason they are writing the vehicle off the cost of repairs versus value of the car?
  • If that is the only reason, what would be the maximum they would pay to have it repaired?
  • Will they give you that sum with the proviso that you use it to repair the car and obtain an engineer's report to confirm its safety/Quality?

If they do not wish to repair the car, then you run the risk that they will refuse to insure it without an engineer's report anyway.

You need to discuss it with them and their assessor.

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