Accident Advice Help to Zoners

[E30BeemerLad]

well to help keeping the salvage an easier transaction, I would recommend that you try and agree a salvage figure with them before they post you a cheque for the agreed value, otherwise there is a risk that "auto pilot" takes over the situation and because the salvage technically becomes their property once they pay out, you could fall victim to someone just doing their job and getting the salvage sent off to the knackers yard despite there being records of you possibly wanting to keep it.

But as you still have the V5 it would be awkward for the destruction of the vehicle to take place, but there is a risk it could be uplifted from the repairers and moved to an area of free storage, which could be at the other end of the country.

As a rule of thumb, on vehicles with a pre-accident value of less than £3k, the salvage figure will often be about 10% of the pre-accident value, so £300 on a £3k car, but I'd offer them less than that to start off.

Dealing with salvage is a pain for insurers as they incur storage fees, transportation costs, fees for destruction or if it goes to salvage auction, auction fees deducted from whatever figure it achieves at auction. So you are kind of doing them a favour. So long as it ain't cat A or B salvage, you should be able to keep it.

[Speedtouch]

Thanks for that info BeemerLad. I phoned the bodyshop that currently has the car, and it said that the insurers are coming to collect it on Tuesday/Wednesday of next week (despite me saying to the insurers I'd be interested in buying it); shall get onto the insurers again tomorrow.

Could anyone ascertain approximately what category of damage this might be?





Cheers,

[E30BeemerLad]

that's probably gonna need chassis rails at the front and strut towers could be bent, which in the eyes of an insurance assessor means structural damage to shell perhaps. Could be a cat B.

Ask your insurers tomorrow although claims depts are a bit vacant over the weekend except for setting up & dealing with new claims. Whatever though make sure you speak to someone who is able to put some sort of note on the claim file that salvage to be retained by policyholder and get the name of whoever you speak to.

I'd be on the blower to them first thing Monday though to follow that up as you can see the system is already working and they will have requested salvage uplift when processing your total loss payment.

Insurers and common sense do not go together in the same breath I can assure you. Behind the medical profession I'd say they are a close second for the title of "profession that never learns"

[Speedtouch]

OK, thanks again for the advice - will follow that through. If I am successful in buying it back, it shall probably be fragged for parts, possibly reshelled though I've yet to carry out such an ambitious vehicle rebuild - would certainly be an interesting project though...

Cheers,

[Jon_Bmw]

I think I said in another thread that its going to be pushing on the boundaries of cat b I think it would have been C if it wasn't for the damage to the rear quarter as well. The rear 1/4 damage wouldn't cat B it inself, but it all 'adds' up in the assesors opinion.

I think you could be lucky to get that back.

[E30BeemerLad]

I'd agree Jon, very borderline. Req 1/4 panel doesn't help. Can't see any distortion in the roof from the pics, if that was there it'd be defo B

[hennared323i]

Is not the difference between C and B mainly a safety related issue?

[Brianmoooore]

The difference between B and C is that a B never goes back on the road! Safety doesn't come in to it.
It's all to do with pre accident values/repair costs. A newish prestige car with that kind of damage would probably end up as an X.
The first rule after an accident, if at all possible, is to retain control and possession of the wreck!

[hennared323i]

By safety related I meant that , AFAIK, certain parts from a cat B such as brakes etc cannot be sold whereas they can from a cat C. I can't find anything to verify that statement though I did find this:

Category A - A vehicle which should have been totally crushed, including all its spare parts.

Category B - A vehicle from which spare parts may be salvaged, but the bodyshell should have been crushed and the car should never return to the road.

Category C - An extensively damaged vehicle which the insurer has decided not to repair, but which could be repaired and returned to the road.

Category D - A damaged vehicle which the insurer has decided not to repair, but which could be repaired and returned to the road.

Category F - A vehicle damaged by fire, which the insurer has decided not to repair.

Theft These vehicles have not been recovered and ownership rests with the insurer who made the total loss payment. They are able to repossess the car as soon as it is identified, even if it has been bought innocently.

[Speedtouch]

Well, the car has indeed been declared a Cat B, so it's not possible for me to buy it back

I gather it is to be taken away from the local bodyshop this week by the insurers, presumably to be crushed.

RIP, F38 FNW - just shy of 20 years old.

Thanks again for all the advice on this.

[Jon_Bmw]

Well, the car has indeed been declared a Cat B, so it's not possible for me to buy it back

I gather it is to be taken away from the local bodyshop this week by the insurers, presumably to be crushed.

RIP, F38 FNW - just shy of 20 years old.

Thanks again for all the advice on this.

Damn, in situations like this, I don't like being right. Shame you couldn't have got it back to yours so that you could pillage it of bits.

Sorry Speedtouch.

[Speedtouch]

Yes, it is a shame as it had a lot of good usable bits - though I daresay the crushers/insurers transportation crew will no doubt help themselves to a few, that's if the storage bodyshop didn't already...

[triggerhappy21]

Cracking post BeemerLad. Everyone should take heed. If only I had read it before c**t face p****y flaps decided to run me off the road, apologise sincerely, then claim that it was all my fault.

Sickening. By the way his name was Robert Bahl from Coventry, he drove a silver Celica (Reg R6AHL), and he's a f**king c**t.

I suppose it forced me to upgrade from my trashed mk2 Golf Gti 8v to my E30 325i Touring, so it's not all bad!

[FEP]

It's not really been necessary for me as yet, but in any 'situation' (including traffic wardens / police), I favour switching the phone's video recorder on. Even if it's not possible to be actually directing the camera appropriately all the time, the sound track may well be useful.

[Morat]

The first rule after an accident, if at all possible, is to retain control and possession of the wreck!

Absolutely, our E39 was wrecked on a busy A road so the police had it towed to a secure scrap yard and we never saw it again. I was gutted since it had a pristine M62TU and 6sp box and heated electric sports leather seats

The insurance company plain refused to sell it back to me, claiming "too badly damaged to go back on the road" even though they initially said it was a cat-c.

[rdommett]

hi nice info but do you have any numbers of good insurers as mine seem to be ripping me off alot saying because your car is modified we can charge you %$%$ loads thnx

[Brianmoooore]

hi nice info but do you have any numbers of good insurers as mine seem to be ripping me off alot saying because your car is modified we can charge you %$%$ loads thnx

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... ic&t=92881

[DmcL]

good reading in the first post..

if u can also do N.I. id seriously think about getting in touch should anything happen where i need legal assistance.

[E30BeemerLad]

good reading in the first post..

if u can also do N.I. id seriously think about getting in touch should anything happen where i need legal assistance.

I don't deal with NI cases as it is a separate legal jurisdiction, but the same principles will apply when it comes to gathering evidence to support your version of events etc.

I could put any NI zoners in touch with a NI solicitor should the need arise though.

Cheers
Lee

[Von_Thrash]

Oh how i wish i'd read this a year ago. My girlfriend has ended up in a situation that possibly could have been avoided.

Is E30BeemerLad still able to advise on such matters? Please?

[E30BeemerLad]

Drop me a PM or post up your problem on here and I'll do my best to answer

[Von_Thrash]

Thank you. I'll pm you tonight.

[Driftben]

i have abit of a problem,
i parked my car up outside a friend of mines garage and over night it got hit by a dumb ass old driver who cant figure out the size of his car.
thing is he popped into my friends garage the next day to a piece of paper saying he hit my car and gave me a number of his insurance and a so called ref. number.
he dropped the so called details off on a motobike which my friend took a picture of his licence plate because the paper he gave had no name or reg number of his car? (odd)

i thought thats great until i gave the details to my insurance and they said that nothing ties up?

so i gave them that bike licence plate number and they said it didnt matter?
i took the details to the local police and they found the owner but wont give me the details and wont speak to my insurance (shame)

so now i have a written off car which i got minimal for as i have £1000 excess minus all the other fees. i also lost my hard earned no claims!

what should i do now?

[fuzzy]

£1000 excess?
why wont the police do anything?

[Driftben]

because i didnt see it and mainly data protection
bloody sucks.

[47423]

Excellent thread.

[mani]

lovely