You have the right to be put back to where you were so if the repairs cost more than the car is worth they will write it off and if they are not they will repair it.

There is such a thing as a diminution of value claim which comes into play in some circumstances.

A diminution of value claim works on the basis that if I am offered two identical cars but one of them has been involved in a collsion I would probably prefer the one that hasn't. The diminution claim is for the difference between the value of the vehicle involved in the accident and the "perfect" vehicle.

This usually comes ito play on higher value luxury and late model vehicles but on a 5 year old Galaxy the legal costs would almost certainly outweigh the costs of the claim as the court would be very likely to agree to very little diminution of value, if anything.