To think my insurance is invalid?

[happystarfish]

I was in a car accident a few months ago, a third party reversed into me. I had trouble claiming through their insurance so decided to go through a solicitor as I was not getting anywhere. They arranged an engineer to inspect the damaged and have classed it as a write off. The car is still drivable it is just body work damage. I am now confused on whether or not my car insurance will be valid? Surely the engineer should have advised me on this as he knew I was still driving it

You need to call them and ask

Yes it should be fine.
It does depend on the category of write off and I think you may have to get another MOT done on it but ring your insurer to check x

Big mistake
You should have contacted your own insirancecokoaby
It would have been logged as a no fault claim.
They would have paid you directly and sorted everything and then pursued the third party.

Ring your insurance company tomorrow but highly doubt they will be contractually obligated to pay

10 years of insurance experience here

My friends had a similar situation where it was a financial write off. They could only get third party insurance but we're able to continue driving the car.
But you need to check yourself. It's not the engineer's job as they are only providing the information. Each insurance policy is different.

Usually notification of claim required within 48 hours

This happened months ago.

I work in insurance and if your class is deemed a total loss (but can go back on the road) and you retain it your cover is normally dropped to third party only until you get further checks on it that the engineer tells you to. Definitely contact your insurer!

Did you never contact your own insurance at the time? That should have been your first port of call

I should have included that I spoke to my insurance on numerous occasions and they told me to speak to the third party’s insurance and also then directed me to the solicitors

If the engineer doesn’t work for your insurer it isn’t down to him to decide.

It’s probably best to try speak to your insurance again and explain that you are aware that your car being written off can reduce cover and if that is the case in your situation.

What Cat did they put on your car? As PP said, every insurer is different. I've worked for one which would drop your cover to third party only and one which would temporarily suspend your cover until the car had an MOT.
Essentially they don't want the risk of covering you while you're driving a car that may not be road legal and safe.

If you're keeping the car, get an MOT and call your insurer. If you have a copy of the engineer report, your insurer may want it.

The car is still drivable it is just body work damage.

Yes your insurance is valid because it is just body work even though it is deemed a 'write off' doesn't mean it isn't road worthy - just that the cost of the damage to repair is in excess of the age/cost of the car. I have the same issue currently, I am choosing to let them 'write it off' by I'm buying it back for around £200. I will still insure & drive it, its fine just has a dent in the back door but because it's old it's deemed unworthy of repair. Seems bad doesn't it? Lady from the insurance company told me most cars 2004 & older with body work damage are written off. Such a wasteful society!!