is my car a write off??

rabb_lbad

I was recently rear ended and was pushed into the car in front. My car is a 2007 suzuki swift 1.5 GLX about 8500 miles on the clock, and my first assesment of the car came up about €8500's of damage. I'm hoping it's a write off, as I wanted to sell it this year but when i tell the potential buyer that it has been in a crash it will drop the value even more.
If the insurer wants to carry out the repairs do i have any say in what i want? I don't really want the car now seen as it's a one year old car that will have had extensive damage to it.
Are there any knowledgeable Boarders that can advise??

Run_to_da_hills

Often if the cost of repairs is great the insurance company will just wright off the car, They sometimes give you the option of buying it back off them at a considerable reduced cost. You can then get more realistic quotes to get it repaired and flog it on.

rabb_lbad

Thanks for that Run T D H, but would you know from the above information whether or not it looks like my car is a write off or not??

Run_to_da_hills

rabb_lbad wrote: »

Thanks for that Run T D H, but would you know from the above information whether or not it looks like my car is a write off or not??

You will have to wait for an insurance assessor to come out. If you are claiming from a TP it would be up to the TP insurance company to claim it a right off. A good mechanic / panel beater would also have a good idea whether its worth fixing or not. Ie if the block (Engine) got damaged or the chassis got twisted.

There are some simple tell tail signs such as any creases in the roof, cracked wind screen, doors not closing properly, creases in metal / cracked paint in the boot, body or under the bonnet. There are ways and means of stretching twisted cars back into position :eek: but once done you can be guaranteed that you will be replacing your windscreen at least once a year! A tow bar it can do serious chassis damage if rear ended but would normally save the body work.

bazz26

I would say it totally depends on the insurance company in question. They usually have policies about what is considered an "economical" write off. They may look at it as if the it costs more than a third of the market value of the car to repair it then it may be deemed an "economical" write off and settle with you. The car then becomes their property. Only the insurance company can tell you this once their assessor evaluates the cost of repain.

If they do write the car off just be warned that they may undervalue your car when it comes to making a settlement. Be prepared to dig your heels with them to get a bit more out of them.

pow wow

What price would you reasonably have gotten for it second hand before the crash? The insurance company valuation will probably be lower than that again, and then they look at the crash repair costs -v- their market valuation.

Kimbot

Only when your repair value is higher than the book price is when they consider it a write off.