My car's just been wrote off

fred funk }{

My wife was driving my newly set-up taxi yesterday and someone ploughed into the side of her, luckily her and the kids weren't killed.
The car is a write off. I now have no way of earning a few quid.

My experience in these sort of things is very limited so any advice is greatly appreciated.
Can I somehow get a car on the road and get the person who's responsible for it insurance company to pay for it (liability was admitted) within a few weeks or will it be a really long drawn out process?
I cant afford to rent out a taxi as I have already borrowed for the taxi and wouldn't be able to meet the two payments.
At the very least could I even hire out a car now just for something to drive (not for taxiing) without me having to pay for it?
I presume these things happen all the time so there must be a fair and reasonable process in place.
Any advice will be appreciated. thanks.

uberwolf

did you take out payment protection insurance or similar, when the loan was taken out?

Fey!

Sorry to hear of your predicament; at least the family are OK.

Try PMing DubTom; IIRC he's also a taxi driver, so he may be able to point you in the right direction. Also try the Taxi Federation (or whatever they call themselves); surely they'd be able to assist.

Best of luck with it.

Bearcat

if you have patience, you'll be able to take the driver to the cleaners. Insurance co. will know your hutin hard and make a derisory offer......get legal advice immediately. Your not the first taxi and nor will it be the last taxi to be taken out of it.


Besta luck,

chris85

I would say ring his insurance and tell them you require a courtesy car. they should sort this out for you straight away.

Liability has been admitted which is great. They will get an accessor out to check out your car and say for sure whether it is a write off. They should then get a report from the accessor saying this. They should then tell you how much you get and send out a cheque. Make sure you get the money you deserve.

My car got wrote off before and it took just over a week to get the cheque as the other guy admitted liability and i persisted with insurance company.

Definitely call the taxi federation as they would be of good help i would say

Bearcat

chris writing out a cheque is what the defedants insurance wants......closure. This guys Missus and kids were in the car....surely they have suffered trauma etc. Plus a serious case of lose of earnings.

Settle immediately , he'll be out of pocket.

chris85

Bearcat wrote: »

chris writing out a cheque is what the defedants insurance wants......closure. This guys Missus and kids were in the car....surely they have suffered trauma etc. Plus a serious case of lose of earnings.

Settle immediately , he'll be out of pocket.

Agreed, just drawing on my experience but more in this one.

fred funk }{

Thanks for the replies guys.

My wife and kids were hurt but not serious, bumps and bruises. My little girl wouldn't sleep in her own bed last night though.

Is it possible to separate the claims, one for the car and one for potential personnel injury at a later stage if needed? Or by excepting a cheque for the car am I settling in total?

chris85

fred funk }{ wrote: »

Thanks for the replies guys.

My wife and kids were hurt but not serious, bumps and bruises. My little girl wouldn't sleep in her own bed last night though.

Is it possible to separate the claims, one for the car and one for potential personnel injury at a later stage if needed? Or by excepting a cheque for the car am I settling in total?

The insurance company may want you to settle and then leave it at that but due to the personal injuries do not accept this as a few months down the road and you may have injuries reoccur and cause problems.

Would go get legal advice on this due to the several factors such as the capital costs of the car and equipment, the lose of earnings you will incur and the personal injuries claim.

bonkey

I'd get legal advice, if I was you.

My immediate reaction is that the insurance should cover loss of income caused as a result of the accident...but I wouldn't be sure.

Fauldy Banny

i think you can claim up to 100 euro a day for loss of earnings if you drive a taxi. Another thing too, you will lose a lot of money on your car because its now a taxi, its worth less and the insurance company will only give you what its worth not what you paid for it. If you buy a car for 30k and a week later register it as a taxi and someone crashes into you wrecking your car, you will not get anything near 30k back.

mickdw

Fauldy Banny wrote: »

If you buy a car for 30k and a week later register it as a taxi and someone crashes into you wrecking your car, you will not get anything near 30k back.

surely this would depend on age. Its hard to believe that if the car was only say 2 weeks old, that they could devalue it by much?

fred funk }{

Fauldy Banny wrote: »

i think you can claim up to 100 euro a day for loss of earnings if you drive a taxi. Another thing too, you will lose a lot of money on your car because its now a taxi, its worth less and the insurance company will only give you what its worth not what you paid for it. If you buy a car for 30k and a week later register it as a taxi and someone crashes into you wrecking your car, you will not get anything near 30k back.

mmmm...not what I wanted to hear TBH. It's a 02 avensis D4D with 85k miles. Anyone know what I'll get for it?

kona

e700 if you are lucky, ive seen avensis cars going for under a grand ex-taxis

masseyno9

I presume the Insurance Co. would want a quick settlement to prevent an ever-mounting loss of earnings claim. With a good solicitor/negotiator you could be sorted pretty quick i'd imagine. I have no clue how much you'll get though.

I remember a taxi driver telling me once he was hit and got money pretty quick because he was claiming (honestly!) loss of earnings.

fred funk }{

kona wrote: »

e700 if you are lucky, Ive seen avensis cars going for under a grand ex-taxis

Wait a minute. Are you telling me that taxi drivers that are driving some of the nice new taxis that are seen around like Merc's, Toyota's, BMW's some costing over 60k are driving a worthless car if you take into account that if someone crashes into them and wrecks their car they'll get feck all back.

I know there will be some devaluing because its a taxi but to that extent i don't know.

bbability

Depending on the insurance company involved will depend on how quick you get settled. Contact your own insurance company for advice.
I'm sure there's a couple of options. One of them may be your own insurance policy covering your car until you settle with the offending motorists policy. It might mean you losing your no claims bonus until its all settled but its money in the bank and your back on the road fairly sharpish. I've been there but not with a taxi.

Oilrig

Fred, go see a Solicitor.

lost marbles

as a taxi driver myself and having been in the same situtation expect to be off the road for atleast three weeks. as to claiming for loss of earnings when i had a crash about four years ago now the loss of earnings payed by the insurance was 80e a day for i think the max was five days so you will only get about 400 euro [its all the small print ]
plus unless you are willing to play hardball and prolong the claim with the insurance company they will offer you little or nothing for the car if it is a right off [way less than market value ] because it was plated up as a taxi
sorry to hear of your plight but i suppose you just can be grateful everyone walked away .
the best you can do now is probably rent a taxi so as you atleast are earning something .
welcome to the world of the taxi driver

lost marbles

fred funk }{ wrote: »

Wait a minute. Are you telling me that taxi drivers that are driving some of the nice new taxis that are seen around like Merc's, Toyota's, BMW's some costing over 60k are driving a worthless car if you take into account that if someone crashes into them and wrecks their car they'll get feck all back.

I know there will be some devaluing because its a taxi but to that extent i don't know.

yes fred it is a fact with insurance companies that once you put a taxi plate on a car it devalues it by a big margin [most new taxi drivers dont realise this when they are plating up a car ] and when there is a claim they are offered way under what they think they should be getting the same applies to when they go to trade it in

Spook_ie

Not wanting to put too big a fly in the ointment, but I assume that the insurance on the taxi did allow for your wife to be driving it on social,domestic and pleasure clause?

roy123456789

You'll get a lot more than €700 for it, I'd guess at around €6000 depending on what value you insured it for?
Why not go to Se jim or citycabs and rent while you're off? anything over the rental amount will be in your pocket ....just work an extra day to pay the rent
Se jim is cheap enough if you use your own insurance
You might be able to claim the rental amount off the insurance as well, (instead of the lost earnings)

kona

fred funk }{ wrote: »

Wait a minute. Are you telling me that taxi drivers that are driving some of the nice new taxis that are seen around like Merc's, Toyota's, BMW's some costing over 60k are driving a worthless car if you take into account that if someone crashes into them and wrecks their car they'll get feck all back.

I know there will be some devaluing because its a taxi but to that extent i don't know.

im just saying what ive seen advertised about:)

you may get more, but unlikely.

what toyota that a taxi uses is over 60k possibly a camry???

if i was a taxi driver id use the crappest car i could find, i was in one with 250,000 the other day:D:D:cool:

fred funk }{

Just to let you know lads, the insurance company paid out in full for the car and for loss of earnings.
I got what the car was worth and not what some of you thought it was worth. I got nearly 8000 euro. I got all my loss of earnings too and three weeks extra which is roughly how long it will take me to get a taxi back on the road.
All in all I'm very pleased with the outcome so far and the staff in the insurance company have been extremely helpful at all times and very nice to deal with.

Thanks for all the help.

Seth Brundle

Nice one, and it didn't take too long either!

lafors

Thats great news
What insurance company was it?

Seth Brundle

Speedy payout - Quinn?

mike65

Not Quinn! :pac:

Mike.

Seth Brundle

I thought they were quick to pay out.
I'm hoping so!

mike65

Never use a bollard as a guide or did a lamp-post leap out of nowhere

What happened there K?

Mike.

Seth Brundle

I stopped, the car behind didn't. Genuine accident though due to the junction layout.
Still getting quotes for repairs.