How to challenge a car insurance write off and why you should!

If you’ve been involved in a bad accident you might be fearing insurance write off. In some cases, it may be the only option. Though we have found that insurance companies can be too quick to make that call. We’ve helped customers save their beloved cars when the insurers have given them no other options.

We repaired this “insurance write off”

In November this Mazda 2 was written off by the insurance company. This was because of damage to the wing, bumper and headlight. The owner wasn’t happy so gave us a call and spoke to Stuart. He sourced a new wing, bumper and headlight which was painted and fitted in no time at all. At the same time, he also repaired damage to the bonnet. This damage was caused by the salvage company who had briefly had the car as part of the insurance process!

Read about the “total loss” recovery that we saved in January 2019 for a very happy customer who sent us a lovely thank you card 👇

“Apologies for this being so late but wanted to thank you so much for organising all the work on my car. I’m really delighted with it, it’s like having a new motor and I’m very grateful for all your help and advice in saving my car. I’m so enjoying having it home and the freedom it gives me. Thank you for everything Martin”

Advice for you if your insurers have written off your car

If your insurance company review the damage to your car and decide it is a ‘write-off’ you don’t have to accept their decision. You are entitled to challenge two things. it is possible to challenge whether the car is actually a write-off. You can also challenge the amount of money you are offered if you accept the car is written-off.

Types of insurance write off

There are two kinds of insurance write-off, category A and category B that link to the roadworthiness of the vehicle. If your car has been deemed either of these categories it can’t be made roadworthy again. There are also categories C and D which are connected to the value of the car. These cases are written off by the insurer because it will cost more to repair the car than the car is worth. Usually, they have had the car seen by a garage and the mechanic will have quoted to repair the vehicle. If the quote to repair is more than about 3/4 of the car’s value it will usually be classed as a financial write-off.

Challenging your insurance company

You can challenge this type of write-off if you want to repair the car instead. If your insurance company have deemed your vehicle a write-off they will offer you a settlement. This should, in theory, be the same amount of money you would need to buy a like-for-like car but it can often be lower than you would need. If you don’t agree with the car being a write-off or the amount of money that you have been offered you can challenge it. The company will have looked at the value of your car in the guides like Glass’s and Parkers, which you can always look at yourself to understand what you might be offered. You also need to take into account the condition of your car and the number of miles you’ve done.

Do your homework

It is possible to challenge what you are offered but you must have proof, you’ll need to look at similar models of your vehicle and find adverts that are relevant to build evidence. You can ask local dealers who might be willing to put a value in writing, you can find your service history and other documents that prove your car’s worth.

More external advice

You can also have a look at the Institute of Automotive Engineers who can give you an independent valuation for a fee. With all this evidence you can challenge the insurer and start a negotiation. You can try to convince them the repair will not be as much as you have been told. or you can accept the write-off but ask for more money for your car in return. You can buy the car back from them if they decide to write it off anyway and repair yourself, which is an option if you just want to keep your car on the road. If the insurance company do not accept your evidence as a means of gaining a higher value for your car you can go to the Financial Ombudsman Service.