Accident & Repair Assessors

[lyndabear01]

had a stupid assessor out after an hit up the back end by a ford cargo truck last monday, he gets out his car and looks at my mileage and then walks round the car and goes your solicitor will get my report shorlty.

The report has came back and he reckons i need a new tailgate, a bumper accessory and new registration plate at a cost of £1187.00.

I am now panic stricken as if you open my boot and look under the carpet the floor is bent in several places and the bumper has popped out both sides of the car so there will probably have been damage behind the bumper as well, is there anything i can do as i dont want to be getting a car back that has only been half repaired and not safe.


The car isnt worth much more than £3000 and well I wish I knew wtf was going on so I could sort myslef out. Can i put my foot down and ask for another assessment?

 

[bigmonmulgrew]

Id say yes sure if they refuse get an independent one done to prove it wasn't assessed properly.

 

[White16valver]

I'd definitely raise it with the insurance company if you have serious bodywork damage and he just reckons it's a new bumper!

Any garage will do you a quote on repairs - take it to the local renault place and get them to do one, then get one from an independant place as well. I imagine they may well be more than what he's said! then send them in and ask/demand that they reassess it!

 

[A13EX F Trophy No70]

take it to a decent body shop get them to quote you on the repair including what needs replacing etc. Also you are entitled to choose where the car goes for a repair so long as the garage is insurance approved, you dont have to go to the one that they reccomend.

seems starange for an assesor to do that.

what you are going to have to be really carefull about is pushing the cost of the repair past the £1800 mark as this would make it a cat c write off. Although if the accident was not your fault you are entitled to have the car repaired (I'm 95% sure of this fact someone correct me if i'm wrong)

 

[Adamhodg]

Sounds like it could be a write off to me. IF the boot floor is damaged and the assessor didnt see that and still quoted £1000. Then a new boot floor will easily push the cost of the repair of the 50% barrier = write off.

 

[White16valver]

Alex - I don't think that's true - I don't think you can demand to have your car fixed if it's going to cost them too much, I think they have final say on if it's written off or not and if they repair it or not! :S

 

[A13EX F Trophy No70]

i'll ask tomorrow about it when i'm at work. i think they have to fix it if you ask them to up to the book value of the car not the 50 - 60% value barrier.

 

[lyndabear01]

Renault have informed me the boot floor damage should come out on a jig (i thank thats wat its called) but as i say he has only priced for a tailgate and bumper accessory when renault have said the whole bumper needs replaceing.

I think i will go down first thing in the morning and take some pics etc and see what i can do, wish i could find out faster if its a write off or not though my finance payment is due next week and wouldnt have to pay it if it was a write off could go for a deposit on a nice new clio

 

[lyndabear01]

Renault think now that its going to be £1704.00 to fix my car but they cant comment on damage under the bumper, do i phone zurich now and see if they are willing to pay that or will they class it as a write off,

any ideas ??????? xx

 

[cK]

If its crumpled the boot floor it will most likely need a new rear bumper, new cross member, new back panel, and jigging the boot floor out with a dozer. They will repair the boot floor by pulling it out and filling it. They will then spot weld in the new back panel etc etc.

Any good bodyshop will start to strip the car down and realise there is more damage than what has been quoted by the acessor and they will contact the insurance to inform them that more hours/parts are required for their end of the work.

It takes a real rough bodyshop to bolt on a new bumper when the cross member, rear panel and boot floor is damaged.

 

[MRBILLYUK]

Renault think now that its going to be £1704.00 to fix my car but they cant comment on damage under the bumper, do i phone zurich now and see if they are willing to pay that or will they class it as a write off,

any ideas ??????? xx

If it was the fault of somebody else and they have admitted liability and the car is repaired , it will have lost some of its value and you can make a claim for this . Its called Diminution of value .


http://www.carvaluesplus.com/diminution.htm

 

[edde]

Alex - I don't think that's true - I don't think you can demand to have your car fixed if it's going to cost them too much, I think they have final say on if it's written off or not and if they repair it or not! :S

You can they have to return you to in the same situation you were before regardless.

 

[lyndabear01]

I will telephone Zurich today as there client has admitted liabiltity and I may be able to get a rough indication if they are want to pay out for damage or just pay the car off.

I realise now how much I miss my Baby Clio though now!!