Written off car

Pov06

Hi lads,

Mum wrote off her car today. She described the incident as brake failure and drove it straight into a wall going down a floor in a multistory car park.

I rang the 24/7 insurance line and they organised a tow truck to tow it to their garage.

What do you all recommend me to do tomorrow morning? The car has comprehensive insurance and there was no third party involved.

We will be claiming from the insurance company. Will the insurance cover a hire car? The policy documents state they pay up to 200 euro for car rental. How do I go about getting this rental car.

The car is a top-spec 2005 Corolla Verso. Would it be worthwhile taking scrap value and breaking it? It has lots of extras like TV's in the back, etc.

It's a pity she left the dashcam in the car

challengemaster

Pov06 wrote: »

The car has comprehensive insurance and there was no third party involved.

The owner of the multi-story car park is a third party - they're going to need to claim for any structural damages to their property too. Third party doesn't just mean cars!

Pov06

challengemaster wrote: »

The owner of the multi-story car park is a third party - they're going to need to claim for any structural damages to their property too. Third party doesn't just mean cars!

For a mark in the brick wall yeah?

challengemaster

I'd imagine there's more than a mark if it's enough to write off a car.

Pov06

challengemaster wrote: »

I'd imagine there's more than a mark if it's enough to write off a car.

Imagination != reality.

mickdw

Pov06 wrote: »

Imagination != reality.

Very ****ty attitude you have there.
It is very reasonable to point out that the car park owners are a damaged party as a result of your mother's accident. Nobody here can say whether there was any damage to the car park or not.
Being an Engineer, I would be inclined to say that it was likely a concrete structure she hit and would likely be no damage however the kicker here is that the car park owners would be negligent if they did not have their property inspected following such an accident. Imagine if another customer came along and cut their leg on a sharp edge left after this accident. The car park owners would be hung out to dry if they did not take all reasonable steps to ensure the property was safe. For that reason alone, if they are a professional outfit, they will be having the area inspected by Engineer. Your mother's insurers would be obliged to pay for this together with any repair works.

Pov06

mickdw wrote: »

Very ****ty attitude you have there.
It is very reasonable to point out that the car park owners are a damaged party as a result of your mother's accident. Nobody here can say whether there was any damage to the car park or not.
Being an Engineer, I would be inclined to say that it was likely a concrete structure she hit and would likely be no damage however the kicker here is that the car park owners would be negligent if they did not have their property inspected following such an accident. Imagine if another customer came along and cut their leg on a sharp edge left after this accident. The car park owners would be hung out to dry if they did not take all reasonable steps to ensure the property was safe. For that reason alone, if they are a professional outfit, they will be having the area inspected by Engineer. Your mother's insurers would be obliged to pay for this together with any repair works.

Fair enough but read the OP

I'm not interested about any damages done to the car park or what the weather will be like on Sunday.

I want to know how do I proceed here in regards to claiming from comprehensive and how do I go about taking out a rental replacement.

It may have sounded cheeky but I'm not interested in people waffling about stuff that is irrelevant.

ba_barabus

My experience from similar isvthatvupu call the insurance company, let them know you have a claim and request a car.

delahuntv

Op has one hell of an attitude.

slimjimmc

mickdw wrote: »

:
The car park owners would be hung out to dry if they did not take all reasonable steps to ensure the property was safe. For that reason alone, if they are a professional outfit, they will be having the area inspected by Engineer. Your mother's insurers would be obliged to pay for this together with any repair works.

^+1. Probably a solid concrete wall, if it was a brick wall she there'd like be some damage to it. And I would expect the car park's insurer would insist on an engineer's report.

Pov06

delahuntv wrote: »

Op has one hell of an attitude.

Just sticking to the OP.

I'm not interested in this topic becoming a debate on how much damage was caused.

slimjimmc

Pov06 wrote: »

Fair enough but read the OP

I'm not interested about any damages done to the car park or what the weather will be like on Sunday.

I want to know how do I proceed here in regards to claiming from comprehensive and how do I go about taking out a rental replacement.

It may have sounded cheeky but I'm not interested in people waffling about stuff that is irrelevant.

Talk to the insurer's claims dept, they'll explain their own specific procedures as not every insurer may be identical.

Atlantic Dawn

What speed was she doing to write the car off, I would find it hard to reach 30kph in a multistory even on the straights? Insurance company will ask how she was doing the speed to write it off, also there may be CCTV to help or hinder her case.

9935452

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

What speed was she doing to write the car off, I would find it hard to reach 30kph in a multistory even on the straights? Insurance company will ask how she was doing the speed to write it off, also there may be CCTV to help or hinder her case.

2005 corolla is probably worth 3 or 4 grand.
front end collision, new bonnet wings, bumper, lights , probably airbags.
It wouldnt take much to write off the car

Special Circumstances

Pov06 wrote: »

Just sticking to the OP.

I'm not interested in this topic becoming a debate on how much damage was caused.

That's the spirit, good lad!

mgbgt1978

As it's a 10 year old car she would probably find it cheaper to replace the car herself rather than make a claim........assuming the Car park Owners don't look for a fortune for an Engineer's report.

If she were to claim for the cost of car replacement she will only end up paying this back to her Insurers over the next few years, even if she has a protected NCB.

bladespin

Structural engineer's report, repairs (repaint only with a bit of luck) and then the cost of the car itself, could be beyond absorbtion.

Wild Garlic

Pov06 wrote: »

Hi lads,

Mum wrote off her car today. She described the incident as brake failure and drove it straight into a wall going down a floor in a multistory car park.

I rang the 24/7 insurance line and they organised a tow truck to tow it to their garage.

What do you all recommend me to do tomorrow morning? The car has comprehensive insurance and there was no third party involved.

We will be claiming from the insurance company. Will the insurance cover a hire car? The policy documents state they pay up to 200 euro for car rental. How do I go about getting this rental car.

The car is a top-spec 2005 Corolla Verso. Would it be worthwhile taking scrap value and breaking it? It has lots of extras like TV's in the back, etc.

It's a pity she left the dashcam in the car

Here's a mad idea. Ring the insurance company and ask them.

Pov06

Wild Garlic wrote: »

Here's a mad idea. Ring the insurance company and ask them.

You must be paying a fortune for your insurance if you can ring them at 1 AM and get these details.

Smart ass isn't the word...

hullaballoo

You have a very unlucky mother, OP. Very unlucky.

It almost beggars belief.

Bogger77

Pov06 wrote: »

I rang the 24/7 insurance line and they organised a tow truck to tow it to their garage.

Pov06 wrote: »

You must be paying a fortune for your insurance if you can ring them at 1 AM and get these details.

I'm guessing that it was the breakdown people you rang, rather than insurance co, otherwise, you should feel silly.

anyhows, I'm not liking your attitude, so won't be giving you any advice based on my experiences with insurance co's, but you've been given the right answer by others

buckfasterer

I'm struggling to figure out how the car was written off when it hit a wall going down the ramp in a multi-story. Those turns are tight, and you have to crawl round them. Fair enough, the brakes may have failed but to be going at a speed where the car was written off surely means that she was going too fast in the car park so would be held liable?

Ravage1616

Pov06 wrote: »

You must be paying a fortune for your insurance if you can ring them at 1 AM and get these details.

Smart ass isn't the word...

Most insurance companies have a 24 hour emergency helpline, which can advise you on how to proceed.

KTR1C

I bet all the local McDonalds are making sure they have the "wet floor" signs down this weekend when they start cleaning up !! :rolleyes:

slimjimmc

buckfasterer wrote: »

I'm struggling to figure out how the car was written off when it hit a wall going down the ramp in a multi-story. Those turns are tight, and you have to crawl round them. Fair enough, the brakes may have failed but to be going at a speed where the car was written off surely means that she was going too fast in the car park so would be held liable?

Not at all. I know of a few places where the ramps are straight so if you're brakes fail there you could easily pick up too much speed even with engine braking. On spiral ramps you could do a lot of damage to the sides of a car if you bounce off the side walls.

Pov06

Bogger77 wrote: »

I'm guessing that it was the breakdown people you rang, rather than insurance co, otherwise, you should feel silly.

anyhows, I'm not liking your attitude, so won't be giving you any advice based on my experiences with insurance co's, but you've been given the right answer by others

Ravage1616 wrote: »

Most insurance companies have a 24 hour emergency helpline, which can advise you on how to proceed.

Indeed I rang the 24/7 line for claims but the person working there didn't even have access to our policy details which means he cannot provide any information/advice.

The guy on the claims line organised the tow truck and the car was towed to Ashmore Ryder. I got a phone call from the insurance company and they said the assessor will be out today to have a look at the damage.

hullaballoo wrote: »

You have a very unlucky mother, OP. Very unlucky.

It almost beggars belief.

Indeed and this is not even a joke

Pov06

Wild Garlic wrote: »

Have a look at your OP. You asked what was recommended you do in the morning, not at 1AM.
Oh and "smart ass" is two words, plural.....

I'm not sure what you're trying to achieve here but the morning is long gone. Thanks for your useless help.

5ub

Have you notified the carpark management anyway? Might be worth doing that if you haven't already, if the sus the damage down the line and see that your mother caused it they might chase it up with the law

Pov06

5ub wrote: »

Have you notified the carpark management anyway? Might be worth doing that if you haven't already, if the sus the damage down the line and see that your mother caused it they might chase it up with the law

Yeah the security people were at the accident.

5ub

Pov06 wrote: »

Yeah the security people were at the accident.

And did they take your mother's insurance details? To be honest I really couldn't see them just leaving it without at least having it inspected, there would be huge consequences for them if something happened down the line as someone said earlier

Pov06

5ub wrote: »

And did they take your mother's insurance details? To be honest I really couldn't see them just leaving it without at least having it inspected, there would be huge consequences for them if something happened down the line as someone said earlier

No they did not.

They pretty much helped push the car so it doesn't block the exit and helped loading it onto the recovery truck.

Like I said - there was no noticeable damage. But then again what do I know, I'm not a qualified Boards.ie engineer...

mgbgt1978

Pov06 wrote: »

The guy on the claims line organised the tow truck and the car was towed to Ashmore Ryder. I got a phone call from the insurance company and they said the assessor will be out today to have a look at the damage

....But yet you are able to assess this as an Insurance write-off.....before the Assessor has even seen the car.

Maybe they won't write it off.
Were the air-bags deployed ?
Is the Chassis bent ?

Pov06

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

....But yet you are able to assess this as an Insurance write-off.....before the Assessor has even seen the car.

Maybe they won't write it off.
Were the air-bags deployed ?
Is the Chassis bent ?

Judging by the value of the car and the damage I'm fairly confident it's a write-off.

The airbags did not deploy however the driver door was stuck shut and wouldn't open so there could be some chassis damage.

Most of the damage was done on the driver side wing where the ECM sits. I noticed a check engine light after the crash. The bonnet, bumper, wing, door, grille, headlights (which are massive on this car), windscreen wash reservoir would all need to be replaced.

mgbgt1978

Ah Grand. Just that the very 1st sentence in your original post was;
"Mum wrote off her car today"

I was just curious as to the extent of the damage. Did the Assessor have a look today ?

JamboMac

How could an impact too the side of the car which never even deployed airbags anyway damage an engine?

Was this car a right off before or after the incident.

Was it an accident or an "accident"?

slimjimmc

Pov06 wrote: »

The airbags did not deploy however the driver door was stuck shut and wouldn't open so there could be some chassis damage.

I don't know what others think but if that amount of deformation happened at such a low speed then writing the car off is probably the best thing. Imagine the consequences in a more serious collision. :eek:

JamboMac

slimjimmc wrote: »

I don't know what others think but if that amount of deformation happened at such a low speed then writing the car off is probably the best thing. Imagine the consequences in a more serious collision. :eek:

Must be made of jelly, not buying Corolla ever as collision between 10-15 kmh destroy the car, if you where in a proper accident it would probably disintegrate.

Pov06

Well it's no surprise considering the car crashed into a building. The damage is a lot different than if it crashed into another car because of the hardness of a wall compared to a soft car body.

I was told the assessor will look at it today but I wasn't expecting anything until Monday.

And just so you know - that Corolla Verso is a lot safer car than most having a 5 star Euro NCAP rating so it could have been worse in a different car.

The car is also heavy, add that to a downhill slope, no brakes and a female driver who doesn't know about engine braking. That's why the outcome is this bad.

She said she pressed the brake pedal, nothing happens and her first thought is "oh I pressed the wrong pedal" so she presses on the brake a second time, nothing and at that moment it's too late to pull the handbrake or perform any other kind of manoeuvre.

Pov06

Got a phone call from the assessor today and he deems it as a write-off.

He offered me a low ball value of €3900!

I checked the OMSP on Revenue.ie for a 2005 Corolla Verso 2.0 D4D T-Spirit and it comes up as €5100.

What should I do in this case? He actually tried to tell me that the clutch is badly worn and that the dual mass flywheel needs changing - I changed the clutch and replaced the DMF with a single mass flywheel 2 years ago...

KTR1C

Pov06 wrote: »

Got a phone call from the assessor today and he deems it as a write-off.

He offered me a low ball value of €3900!

I checked the OMSP on Revenue.ie for a 2005 Corolla Verso 2.0 D4D T-Spirit and it comes up as €5100.

What should I do in this case? He actually tried to tell me that the clutch is badly worn and that the dual mass flywheel needs changing - I changed the clutch and replaced the DMF with a single mass flywheel 2 years ago...

Honest question, are you a mechanic ?

Pov06

KTR1C wrote: »

Honest question, are you a mechanic ?

No, does that matter?

Stheno

KTR1C wrote: »

Honest question, are you a mechanic ?

And secondly, did you tell the access or you did that work?

Pov06

Stheno wrote: »

And secondly, did you tell the access or you did that work?

No, should that matter?

There is no clutch slippage what so ever and the clutch was working perfectly.

Are you trying to tell me they ripped the gearbox off and had a look? The guy didn't even know it has a SMF!!!

BorneTobyWilde

Never seen brakes to fail totally, there would be braking going to 3 wheels if one brake failed or leaked. You also have a handbrake, and would only be travelling at 15 mph tops in a carpark like that, barely enough to dent the bumper.

Stheno

Pov06 wrote: »

No, should that matter?

There is no clutch slippage what so ever and the clutch was working perfectly.

Are you trying to tell me they ripped the gearbox off and had a look? The guy didn't even know it has a SMF!!!

They could use it as an excuse not to pay out if you hadn't told them of the modification when it was done

BorneTobyWilde

I think OP knows little about cars and should be excused his lack of knowledge. Maybe car is just in need of slight repair from hitting wall. I doubt it's a write off Pov

Pov06

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

and would only be travelling at 15 mph tops in a carpark like that, barely enough to dent the bumper.

Please read the OP. The car (1495 kg) was rolling down from the second floor down to the ground floor of the car park.

Basic physics tells you that the car accelerates and speed increases. If you still think it's impossible then clearly you don't know what you are talking about. I saw the car with my own eyes and I can tell you that it happened.

Pov06

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

I think OP knows little about cars and should be excused his lack of knowledge. Maybe car is just in need of slight repair from hitting wall. I doubt it's a write off Pov

Which part of "the assessor deems the car as a write off" do you not understand?

Stheno

Pov06 wrote: »

Please read the OP. The car (1495 kg) was rolling down from the second floor down to the ground floor of the car park.

Basic physics tells you that the car accelerates and speed increases. If you still think it's impossible then clearly you don't know what you are talking about. I saw the car with my own eyes and I can tell you that it happened.

well no, you saw the car after the accident so you can't tell us what happened

Beggars believe that all the brakes failed in a well maintained car and that your mother didn't think to use the handbrake either

On the value have you checked the price of similar cars for sale?

Pov06

Stheno wrote: »

Beggars believe that all the brakes failed in a well maintained car and that your mother didn't think to use the handbrake either

My mother said the brakes failed. I checked the dashboard and the ABS light was on after the crash.

Stheno wrote: »

On the value have you checked the price of similar cars for sale?

There are cars for sale on DoneDeal for around €5000. The difference is that they are not the T-Spirit model.

Our car had electronic climate control instead of the 3 knobs to adjust heating, TV screens with DVD player.

The examples that I have found are totally different cars - either the 1.6 petrol or 2.2 diesel.

I don't see how they can just simply ignore the fact that the car is a high spec model.

Regarding the arguments about mechanical knowledge - I am sorry I'm not a qualified engineer but do I really need to be an engineer to insure a car?

JamboMac

Pov06 wrote: »

Please read the OP. The car (1495 kg) was rolling down from the second floor down to the ground floor of the car park.

Basic physics tells you that the car accelerates and speed increases. If you still think it's impossible then clearly you don't know what you are talking about. I saw the car with my own eyes and I can tell you that it happened.

You can only get up to a certain speed going downhill in 1st gear which I'm guessing, but when you release the clutch rather then pushing in the brake, the car can gain speed under its weight.