I am struggling to get a settlement on a 3rd party insurance claim (other driver’s insurance have admitted full liability in writing). The 3rd party Insurer has paid me an agreed cash settlement minus their salvage valuation. The company acting on my behalf as regards the claim has disputed the salvage valuation to the tune of about £250 - my company claim it is only worth £450 against 3rd party insurers £700.
Because I am getting nowhere quick I have threaten to get them to return the car to me. Prior to the accident the car was in very good condition. It is a 2005 NB Sport (one of the last made). The car had rear damage to the boot area (buckled panel below boot lid, a small hole in the bonnet, small hole to mohair hood and front and rear cracks to the plastic bumpers. I don’t believe there is any chassis damage. Prior to the accident it had undergone a full service including all fluids and cambelt/water pump/tensioners etc. and had a full underseal - it is rust free and completed just 44,000.
Surely it is for your insurer to sort out , albeit the 3rd party is paying out.
I don’t understand why the company sorting out fir you is involved in setting a value for your car and certainly not if they are valuing it less than the 3rd party’s insurer
I would venture the recent service and underseal are irrelevant for valuation purposes
I don’t think I would want the car back with that damage. I would be pushing for my insurance company to be getting the most money out of the settlement. That’s their job and what you pay your premiums for. Think of all the years you’ve paid for insurance and never claimed (in my case, my last claim was in 2005 - hope I’m not tempting fate there).
As I understand it, they have already paid you out and are now just arguing about the salvage cost. If there is no chassis damage (and depending on how much your insurance payout was), it may be worth getting the car back from them and getting it repaired. Have a chat with a panel beater to get a rough estimate.
I suppose it also depends on how long you’ve had the car, so how well you know it as opposed to buying a replacement, and how attached you are to it.
