Insurance - Recovery of total loss
Discussion
On Friday night my 200K miles Elise was damaged by a (probably) drunk driver whilst parked on the street outside. My car was the least damaged of four that she managed to hit. She absconded but was later found by police who I understand arrested her and I believe persuaded her to admit that she was the driver at the time of the incident.
The damage to the rear clamshell is relatively light, but it is looking like to repair cost will lead the insurance company (AVIVA) to declare it beyond economic repair and I assume therefore a “total loss”.
I have wisely avoided having the car taken off to the AVIVA ‘approved repairer’ and took the option of selecting my own repairer which incurs an additional £200 excess. The car is completely roadworthy.
Now I have a lot of investment in this car rather above it’s insurance value having owned it from new and maintained by the same garage in great mechanical condition throughout it’s life.
So does anybody know (not speculate) what tactic I can use to make sure that the car doesn’t get declared as a total loss and save the car from the insurance company? Options as I see it may be:
I guess the first option will be to do my best to persuade my insurance company that the write-off value is high enough to make the repair economic. I am told this is unlikely with AVIVA.
Is it possible to negotiate a maximum fee that the insurer will pay for the repairs and I make up the difference?
It is possible to withdraw the claim on my insurer and simply live with the damage/ patch it up myself?
Is it possible to withdraw the claim on my insurer, get the car repaired and then sue the other driver (and hence her insurance company) for the cost of the repairs.
If the car is declared a total loss, what it the tactic/ situation regarding negotiating to buy it back and then pay the repair cost myself?
I will obviously discuss with the insurance company to try to work through this, but would really appreciate any useful advice from anyone else who has experience of this kind of situation.
Thanks.
The damage to the rear clamshell is relatively light, but it is looking like to repair cost will lead the insurance company (AVIVA) to declare it beyond economic repair and I assume therefore a “total loss”.
I have wisely avoided having the car taken off to the AVIVA ‘approved repairer’ and took the option of selecting my own repairer which incurs an additional £200 excess. The car is completely roadworthy.
Now I have a lot of investment in this car rather above it’s insurance value having owned it from new and maintained by the same garage in great mechanical condition throughout it’s life.
So does anybody know (not speculate) what tactic I can use to make sure that the car doesn’t get declared as a total loss and save the car from the insurance company? Options as I see it may be:
I guess the first option will be to do my best to persuade my insurance company that the write-off value is high enough to make the repair economic. I am told this is unlikely with AVIVA.
Is it possible to negotiate a maximum fee that the insurer will pay for the repairs and I make up the difference?
It is possible to withdraw the claim on my insurer and simply live with the damage/ patch it up myself?
Is it possible to withdraw the claim on my insurer, get the car repaired and then sue the other driver (and hence her insurance company) for the cost of the repairs.
If the car is declared a total loss, what it the tactic/ situation regarding negotiating to buy it back and then pay the repair cost myself?
I will obviously discuss with the insurance company to try to work through this, but would really appreciate any useful advice from anyone else who has experience of this kind of situation.
Thanks.
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