[Solarwoody]

Hiya people, my car last night was hit by a car whilst on my drive and they drove off. I think I have the owner now of the car but they are being a Bit awkward saying it wasn't them and they don't know where I live...ect.
So I've told the police and got an incident number off the police but I've not told the insurance yet because I don't wanna claim on my own if I don't have to and claim on there's if they play ball. However if they don't am I better going through my insurance or just getting the work done off my own back. It's been quoted at over £1000 damage by 2 garages today but I don't want it being put down as a cat d. I'm not sure about claims and how a cat d works. Does it go on the car even if you just have the side of the resprayed.

The damage I'm looking at is not really any dents to the carbon fibre wing or 2 side doors but the rear wing is slightly dented. The wheels have been scuffed and the doors have a long scuff all down the side of the car from as they came down from the back to the front end. They also broke the drivers wing mirror, I have managed to clip it back together for now but it's still not right. I've been told the entire side would need respraying, the sills repairing and that dent being brought out on the rear wing. We then get onto the mirror.

Anyway do you think I'm better off going through the insurance or getting it done on my own? Maybe even getting the person at fault to go down that route and pay that way or go through there insurance.

All I want to know is would my insurance or hers put my car on a cat d for just a respray, mirror and repair to rear wing and sills???
It is only £1000+ worth of damage and the car is worth £24k.

Thanks in advance.

[The_Bear]

I had a similar thing happen to me and I ended up with the same dilemma - but I chose to pay for it off of my own back partly because I would have 100% say over, which garage I would use to repair my car and I didn't want my insurance premiums to go up.

But i spent over £2000+ (mainly on paint + time) and only one rear door for parts.  

 

I was over the moon with the job he did and the car looks better then new now! (No free Audi factory scratches)

 

Hope this helps,

[RS3Dell]

Solarwoody

 

A Category D insurance write-off falls into the former class: it can legally return to the road, so long as it complies with specific rules governing the various stages of its return to use on the public highway.

Firstly though, what causes a Cat D write-off? Quite often, nothing more than light damage. It generally means the vehicle has been lightly damaged but the financial cost of repairing the car outweighs its market value.

In short, it is not economical to repair – remember, car insurance companies look at the total cost of repair here, including hire cars, expensive-to-source parts for particular models and so on. Cat D status can sometimes be for very minor damage, if the rest of the repair process is deemed to be more than the car is worth.This does not mean it can’t be put back on the road, however. Here’s what’s involved in using a Category D insurance write-off on the road.

Hope this is of help.

Dell.

[MacD]

If the insurance company deem your car beyond economical repair you'd be paid out in full and they'd auction your car off as Cat D. You wouldn't get given it back.

If it's repaired then nothing is recorded against your car.

There are cars out there on a Cat D as they've had seats stolen and cars out there unrecorded having had major structural damage repaired..... its madness.

I'd say claim, if that persons being awkward about it let the insurance company deal with it. From my personal point of view anything upwards of £1k I'd put it through, it's why you pay it at the end of the day.

[Comfortably Numb]

How did another car manage to hit your car while it was parked on your drive?