help! anyone know anything about car insurance claims?

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a week or so ago my DH was on a dual carrige way, coming upto a roundabout. he was in the right hand lane and going straight on, a stupid idiot young delivery man from POVEYS OAT CAKES was in the left lane and decided to try and turn right round the roundabout and concequently took out my DHs car

The delivery driver tried to get out blame by saying DH was in wrong lane but as dual carriageway cont. i gather, he was perfectly entitled to go straight on. it was afterall him who was cut up.

anyway, we had fully comp ins. and obviously the bakery has their cover but we are not sure where we stand now our car has gone into garage.

we have been given a curtosy car but the garage phoned today to say they suspected suspension damage as well as front wing cosmetic, poss repair costs £1200.

our car is old but top condition, just serviced and mot'd but the garage suggested that the insurers would deem it a write off as its value is prob £500-700 tops

to us though its value is much more. we rely on the car to get DH to work, DS to pre school, 25 miles away (long story) and i am 8 months pg with hospital 8 miles away. surely if the insurance declare it a write off they arent going to pay for a rental car any longer?

if they wrote off the car and gave us a cheque for £5/6/700 we would not beable to stump up the rest of the cash needed to purchase a replacement.

surely if the other party is liable they have to get the car fixed?

we really cannot be without a car at the moment and although the claims people are supposedly getting intouch at some point tomorrow i would really be greatful for any pointers from anyone in the know.

this is a late post so i'm going to bed now but if anyone has any advice please leave it. thanks.

unfortunately not. If the damage to the vehicle is considered more than the cost of the car then it will most likely be written off, regardless of who the insurer is.

The fact the other driver was at fault makes no difference to the outcome of the claim, all that means is that the cost of the writeoff will be covered by the other insurer.

And I'm afraid you're right - if the car is written off you'll no longer be entitled to a courtesey car.

Sorry.

.

What wannaBe says is correct, but in English Law as an innocent party you have the right to be no worse off as a result of the accident. So as an alternative you can insist on an identical (within reason) replacement vehicle. So you need to find vehicles for sale of same year/mileage/condition etc. Scant compensation when obviously you know the history of your own car.

I was the innocent party when my car was written off by plonker in a white van. My lovely little VW Polo with 35000 miles on the clock needed repairs costing £2500 and was only valued at £2200 so was a write off.

My Mum had an accident like this, but she was the person who tried to turn right round the roundabout while the guy in the right hand lane went straight on.

The insurance companies actually decided that the guy who had gone straight on was at fault as he was the one who had changed lanes without checking it was clear before moving. In some places local convention is that you can turn right in the left hand lane, lots of people do it at a roundabout near me.

So sorry, but they might decide it is knock for knock and it is no quite as clear cut as you think.

It does sound as though it'll be a write off, hope you get it sorted .

thanks for all answers, got to go through it with the insurers tonight, doesnt seem too promising though.

couldn't have happened at a worse time...

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