We’ve had a bad accident

[punchandjudyblubberhouses]

Hi
just wondering if anyone can comment here. We have a 2019 plate California Ocean and unfortunately on 19 Dec we had an accident and careered into a stone wall damaging the bonnet, bumper, grill and lights. Initial response from insurer is it’s a write off. It is drivable though and on impact we were going very fast. We’ve asked for an assessors the van cost 58k. It’s only done 26000 miles. Has anyone else experience of repairing a damaged van? Seems very wasteful to take such a great vehicle to the scrap yard.

 

[punchandjudyblubberhouses]

Not going very fast when accident happened

 

[colintfcolintf]

Hi, if it is only the bonnet, bumper, grill and lights, I would of thought it a relatively easy repair. If however anything structural is damaged and / or twisted then that’s another matter. Nothing is impossible. Good Luck any photos of the damage?

 

[colintfcolintf]

Someone like https://bprolls.co.uk/ might give a good clue as to what can be done. I was recommended the Newport branch by my local Mercedes Commercial dealer (for some non accident work on a Sprinter)

 

[Alan Andrews]

If the insurer classes the damage as a write off, then you will drop the van value instantly.

You need to determine what class of insurance write off it is. This may impact your final decision.

What you have described is panel damage...all repairable. But it is likely that there is chassis damage also.

The insurance assessor will determine the extent of damage, determine if repairable, the availability of replacement parts and the full repair costs.

As a pointer, if the above costs amount to over 50% of his vehicle value, then it will be written off.

Good luck

 

[Perfectos]

ask the Buy back value of the Van should they write it off ?

That'll tell you how insurers make money after an accident!

There is no such thing as a damaged write off in todays terms.
Total loss, yes.
Uneconomical repair vs replacement cost, yes.

In the bad old days there was a threshold insurers used to use to determine "write off" I.e. crash repair damage value to get it back to pre accident condition vs Trade Book Value of the vehicle - if damage exceeds 75% of value = write off.

Nowadays insurers will repair a vehicle upto 100% of book value, in some instances more ! - Example = Rowan Atkinson Maclaren F1 was repaired after £1m damage, the car didn't cost that new !

I suspect your insurer can dispose of your vehicle at a considerable market value , it will then be repair and back on the forecourt at top book money.

This is how insurers balance the books and make money out of your misery.

Edit :

It's your Vehicle until you agree a final settlement!

You are within your rights to get another quote, and employ an accident management company to act on your behalf !

Insurers will pull all sorts of stunts to relive an owner of a vehicle. Insurers have the repair / salvage market buttoned up to make sure the insurer is at the top of the food chain.

Your Vehicle is worth the Current replacement value, like for like , start DYOR into current values, save all adverts you will need to prove the Vehicle replacement cost , rather than allowing the insurer to use low "book" values

I wish you the best of luck, I don't envy your predicament

 

[andyinluton]

Can you be a bit more specific re the damage.
Do the doors open and close ok?
Airbags set off?
All four wheels facing the same direction?
Does the roof still align ok


One of the main factors in writing off vehicles these days is the delays in obtaining parts with the knock on effect of increased hire charges on a courtesy vehicle.

 

[Wannabecamperman]

If the assessor is suggesting Cat C, D or N as I believe the more modern ones use, then it's certainly safely repairable. If Cat S, = structural damage, then I wouldn't touch it and as others have said, just fight for the best like-for-like replacement price.

 

[dspuk]

Hi
just wondering if anyone can comment here. We have a 2019 plate California Ocean and unfortunately on 19 Dec we had an accident and careered into a stone wall damaging the bonnet, bumper, grill and lights. Initial response from insurer is it’s a write off. It is drivable though and on impact we were going very fast. We’ve asked for an assessors the van cost 58k. It’s only done 26000 miles. Has anyone else experience of repairing a damaged van? Seems very wasteful to take such a great vehicle to the scrap yard.

Not quite sure what the question is. You need the insurer to pay you to either replace or repair the vehicle. They will do one or the other and not really allow you to choose based on the TCR - total cost of repair, which includes many factors, not just the basic repair costs.

Take the money, replace your van.

They will drop it on an specialist auction site and someone will buy it and repair it. There are loads of YT channels of people who do this for a living. Including Calis/Transporters. I watched the below recently and a few others on LR Defenders which had water damage. The resale on them is terrible though as they will forever be classified as an insurance write off in the docs.

 

[punchandjudyblubberhouses]

If the insurer classes the damage as a write off, then you will drop the van value instantly.

You need to determine what class of insurance write off it is. This may impact your final decision.

What you have described is panel damage...all repairable. But it is likely that there is chassis damage also.

The insurance assessor will determine the extent of damage, determine if repairable, the availability of replacement parts and the full repair costs.

As a pointer, if the above costs amount to over 50% of his vehicle value, then it will be written off.

Good luck

Many thanks for this . You have been very kind to get back to us .

 

[punchandjudyblubberhouses]

Not quite sure what the question is. You need the insurer to pay you to either replace or repair the vehicle. They will do one or the other and not really allow you to choose based on the TCR - total cost of repair, which includes many factors, not just the basic repair costs.

Take the money, replace your van.

They will drop it on an specialist auction site and someone will buy it and repair it. There are loads of YT channels of people who do this for a living. Including Calis/Transporters. I watched the below recently and a few others on LR Defenders which had water damage. The resale on them is terrible though as they will forever be classified as an insurance write off in the docs.

Thank you for this information . We were hoping to persuade them to repair it for us and wondered if anyone else had done the same but from what you said this may not be possible

 

[punchandjudyblubberhouses]

Hi, if it is only the bonnet, bumper, grill and lights, I would of thought it a relatively easy repair. If however anything structural is damaged and / or twisted then that’s another matter. Nothing is impossible. Good Luck any photos of the damage?

 

[punchandjudyblubberhouses]

Thanks for your reply. Photos on another phone - no structural damage as far as we know

 

[Ch1pbutty]

If it was me, would go with the insurance write off. Take the cash, buy a new / 2nd hand van and move on. That’s why you have insurance.

Repair is an option but the van will be valued accordingly upon resale if it has been written off / not economical to repair.

 

[punchandjudyblubberhouses]

Yes if it’s total loss we will just have to do that - not had a final decision yet but that was their initial response

 

[punchandjudyblubberhouses]

Thank you for your comments - very much appreciated

 

[Lambeth Cali]

A thread desperately in need of a photo.

 

[punchandjudyblubberhouses]

Can you be a bit more specific re the damage.
Do the doors open and close ok?
Airbags set off?
All four wheels facing the same direction?
Does the roof still align ok


One of the main factors in writing off vehicles these days is the delays in obtaining parts with the knock on effect of increased hire charges on a courtesy vehicle.

Hi
Yes doors open and close and airbags weren’t set off roof looks ok ( not tried) and it still drives. Out fingers are crossed. Thank you for your interest . Best wishes for 2025

 

[Lambeth Cali]

Oh dear. Very sorry.
Best of luck. I would have thought if the airbags aren’t deployed it would be fixable.

 

[andyinluton]

Hi
Yes doors open and close and airbags weren’t set off roof looks ok ( not tried) and it still drives. Out fingers are crossed. Thank you for your interest . Best wishes for 2025

View attachment 131563

I would be suprised if that is written off. Looks easily repairable with just standard transporter parts.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Looks to be easily repaired. Can’t see it being a write off.

(….From an armchair expert!)

 

[soulstyledevon]

I would be suprised if that is written off. Looks easily repairable with just standard transporter parts.

Explains a lot, why insurance Premiums are 3x higher than what they were in 2019.

Looks very much salvageable from the pic.

 

[larrylamb]

I would be suprised if that is written off. Looks easily repairable with just standard transporter parts.

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[m10chkcalifornia]

That will T-cut out fine. Seriously that should not be a write off.

 

[Alan Andrews]

That will T-cut out fine. Seriously that should not be a write off.

Agreed. Looks repairable.

This is a write off. Other driver head on collision Nov 2024. Moving to a Grand California next.