Car Written off - Gutted beyond Belief

[SecretSquig]

I have a 2005 ZS TD with every optional extra you can shack a stick at, not to mention all the 'extras' I've put in. Absolutly Imaculate, or at least is was until some knob in his Porsche decided to pull out without looking and hit me head on at 30mph. This impact then shoved me accross the road, over the pavement, and through someone's garden wall. The know has admitted full liability. I'm not a car expert by any means but .......

New bonet, wings, bumper, grill, both front alloys (Jet Black 15"s) have broken, lights and the doors are slightly bent where the wings have been pushed back. I've been to see her at the garage (I'll post pics tomorrow), and she's parked next to the skip. The rear bumper is hanging off, I've dinks in the rear wing and one of the rear door handles has come off. This was all caused when they had to drag it out of the garden, over the wall rubble. The mechanic said its repaiable, but it would cost +£6500 to do, as the chasis is slightly bent, and all the front suspension is broken. Its a write off. To add insult to injury, in the repair bay of the garage on the ramps, was the Porsche, which should be back on the road next week!

Now, here's where I'm confused. Its been declared a write off, not because it can't be fixed, but because of how much it will cost to fix. So Insurerers send me a cheque which won't cover me buying another one. But I'm not at fault, I'm the innocent party, I don't give a monkeys how much it costs to fix, I want it back, fix it. But this isn't how it works.

So at the end of the day, me being the innocent, is left out of pocket, with no car, and not enought £££ to replace it with another ZS TD. How is that fair?

[rbull51]

Gutted. These insurance companies are just out to get as much from you as possible and pay out as little as possible.

[SharronB]

Gutted for you! Insurance companies are just robbing barstewards , hope you get it sorted

[peterzs]

Sorry to read about your ZS TD from another ZS TD.

I think you can sue the other driver if it was his fault and as he admitted liability (hope you had a witness) to put your car back in the condition it was before the accident. When he gets the writ the insurance company then get involved and put the money up. This is according to Honest John in the Telegraph, he has a web page and it may be on there. I think I would contact Citizens Advice Bureau http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
There may be some costs involved so get some further advice, best of luck.

[SecretSquig]

Don't need any wittnesses, have the best 2 you can possiblely get ! It happened in front of a row of shops, and the shopkeeper came out to say it was all on CCTV, and backed my side up (I'm going watching it on Saturday) and, the guy admitted liability and signed a statement to that, in front of the Police who attended.

I'm just p***ed as I'm the one inconvienced, without my baby and out of pocket having to look for a new MG ZS. I want my car back It was stunning and over 50 mpg !

[Craig]

Thats terrible mate, how much did they offer you for the car? Do you have to accept their figure?

[Dan1971]

The nuts and bolts of the accident,the repairs, and the insurance offer are where we have problems. But .... we can, (and I'm sure you are), make up for it when it comes to the injury part. If you were shunted so hard as to have left the road and gone into someone's garden, the whiplash injury to your neck would have been significant and it sometimes takes a while to start hurting.

I was in exactly this position a while back after getting knocked off my motorbike. The damages to the bike and gear weren't even close to being covered in the offer I received ...... but the £2K for the whiplash balanced it up and paid for a holiday in Turkey too.

You need to start looking at others like yours which are for sale and printing off the advert, so that you can present the insurance co with similar specced cars to argue their valuation if it comes in low.

You should also look at getting a hire car to cover the inconvenience of being without, which you then claim back off the Porsche insurance co.

In any case ... bad news about the car, but, and it's easy for me to say .... it is just a car, and your here to tell the tale and get another. Some aren't so lucky.

[R8NMG]

Originally Posted by peterzs

as he admitted liability to put your car back in the condition it was before the accident.

I always feel this should become some part of a law when you are a victim having your motor return to the condition as it was before at whatever costs. It is easy for the insurance company to pay the existing value of your car but the money can NEVER buy the exact same car that you loved and cherished.

[dollysprint]

Genuinely sorry to hear of your mis-fortune,yet I fear you have more grief to come at the hands of the insurance company. I have never met anyone who has come away from a situation like yours entirely happy.
To the insurance company a car is just a car,with a market value,that the repair bill would exceed. Therefore for them its cheaper and easier to write the car off and pay out the market value,plus any documented and declared(and therefore insured) additions. But even to these they have ceilings,£500 max on I.C.E systems for example,cost of your alloys as opposed to the originals and so on.
Personal injury,loss of earning,inconvenience is a seperate issue and a seperate part of any car insurance,normally from an entirely different company. Pay outs from these can take years(2-3 normally). And you would need doctors reports,medical expence receipts etc.
One thing I would say though is if the chassis is twisted as your mech says then in my experience,even jigged,the car is never the same again so best left alone. No small comfort.
Final alternative is to kill the Porsche driver,wont get your car back but might make you feel better!!

Dave

[carl-mgzs]

i would bleed every penny possible out of the Porsche driving c***