What is the best option after son had a car crash please?

IC2211 · 2025-02-13T14:08:27+00:00

No one else involved, he wasnt drinking or anything but he swerved to avoid an animal and front of the car is bent in and quite bad as the car went into a grassy bank and buckled it all. Off duty policeman helped and told him he couldn't drive the car due to the damage, so it was left there overnight. Online did a claim, car being towed home today through insurance. We thought he would get a courtesy car but as the claim says the car isnt worth repairing and thus is a write off, they won't give a CC. He has gone into work and of course people are saying he shouldnt have gone through insurance etc etc, though not sure how he would have got the car home without paying a lot for recovery. Should he withdraw the claim? Carry on with it? Try to get it fixed himself? Any advice would be appreciated as we are not sure what to do. Having no car wouldn't be a disaster for him, he can get public transport to work, but need to work out the least financially worse option. Thank you

Springflowersmakeforbetterhours · 13/02/2025 14:10

Of course go via insurance...
Glad your ds is OK.

lechatnoir · 13/02/2025 14:14

If it's repairable you can ask to buy it back. I did this with mine as my BIL owns a bodyshop (the car type!) so was able to get it back on the road and I trust him to do it properly. Still driving it 3 years on although accept the value is significantly diminished but I got a payout from the insurers which partly covered the repairs and keeping the rest for next car purchase. Oh, and do NOT accept their first offer for your car - negotiate hard!!!

Original poster

IC2211 · 13/02/2025 14:15

Thank you @Springflowersmakeforbetterhours that is what I said to him, but he is doubting that he should have done it through insurance, and now I am doubting myself and my advice to him 🙄😃

OP posts:

gloriagloria · 13/02/2025 14:17

Find out if it is a CAT S (structural) or CAT N (non-structural write off). If it is a CAT S I would be very wary about buying it back.

lechatnoir · 13/02/2025 14:17

But no, unless you have very deep pockets or the car is very cheap, stick with the insurance - that's what it's there for! I think it will be recorded at written now anyway so not sure you could retract the claim even if you wanted to. If you do buy & repair, don't forget to budget for MOT retest as it won't be roadworthy/legal on the current MOT as it has changed category.

Original poster

IC2211 · 13/02/2025 14:17

lechatnoir · 13/02/2025 14:14

If it's repairable you can ask to buy it back. I did this with mine as my BIL owns a bodyshop (the car type!) so was able to get it back on the road and I trust him to do it properly. Still driving it 3 years on although accept the value is significantly diminished but I got a payout from the insurers which partly covered the repairs and keeping the rest for next car purchase. Oh, and do NOT accept their first offer for your car - negotiate hard!!!

That is what I am hoping will happen tbh, the car is a good little runaround for him and easily passed last MOT without any work needing doing. Is it easy enough to do - buy it back?
Would it affect him insurance premiums do you know? He is already paying £200 a month insurance

OP posts:

Springflowersmakeforbetterhours · 13/02/2025 14:18

Some policies don't issue a cc for under 25's ime.

I had a head on crash in 2023...Just coming out of the palpitations stage now. Tell ds it's OK to feel a bit anxious getting back behind the wheel.

Admiral he didn't squash anything even when The Book says not to swerve. Human nature to swerve... A nice lad you raised!

Original poster

IC2211 · 13/02/2025 14:19

gloriagloria · 13/02/2025 14:17

Find out if it is a CAT S (structural) or CAT N (non-structural write off). If it is a CAT S I would be very wary about buying it back.

Thank you, I wouldn't have even known about this

OP posts:

Original poster

IC2211 · 13/02/2025 14:19

lechatnoir · 13/02/2025 14:17

But no, unless you have very deep pockets or the car is very cheap, stick with the insurance - that's what it's there for! I think it will be recorded at written now anyway so not sure you could retract the claim even if you wanted to. If you do buy & repair, don't forget to budget for MOT retest as it won't be roadworthy/legal on the current MOT as it has changed category.

thank you, again I hadn't thought about another MOT

OP posts:

lechatnoir · 13/02/2025 14:21

@gloriagloria mine is a Cat S but I would agree if I didn't know or trust the person doing the repair!

@IC2211 unfortunately any claim is likely to impact his insurance 🙁

Original poster

IC2211 · 13/02/2025 14:21

Thank you @Springflowersmakeforbetterhours - what a lovely thing to say about him xx

Glad you are feeling better, it must have been terrifying for you!

OP posts:

Desmondo2021 · 13/02/2025 14:23

In a single vehicle RTC there is no requirement to go through Insurance. My son did similar 1 month after passing his test. We left it safely off road overnight, paid a local recovery firm to recover and scrap it the next day and updated the insurance company telling them the car was no longer in use and gave them the VRM of the new one he bought that day. The impact on his future premiums and insurance would have been intolerable for years. It was only a very cheap old car which made it affordable to do this as even if they had given us it's value it would only have been a few hundred which wouldn't have come close to the longterm impact on his insurance.

gloriagloria · 13/02/2025 14:26

lechatnoir · 13/02/2025 14:21

@gloriagloria mine is a Cat S but I would agree if I didn't know or trust the person doing the repair!

@IC2211 unfortunately any claim is likely to impact his insurance 🙁

Yes - not always a dealbreaker but something to consider. Also it will always be on any paperwork that it was a CAT S write-off, that might make it difficult to sell.

Original poster

IC2211 · 13/02/2025 14:53

Desmondo2021 · 13/02/2025 14:23

In a single vehicle RTC there is no requirement to go through Insurance. My son did similar 1 month after passing his test. We left it safely off road overnight, paid a local recovery firm to recover and scrap it the next day and updated the insurance company telling them the car was no longer in use and gave them the VRM of the new one he bought that day. The impact on his future premiums and insurance would have been intolerable for years. It was only a very cheap old car which made it affordable to do this as even if they had given us it's value it would only have been a few hundred which wouldn't have come close to the longterm impact on his insurance.

Edited

I think that is what he is worried about, his premiums. He has been passed a year and is 21, hopefully it wont be too big a shock for him! But he has done it now, so just trying to work out best next step.

OP posts: