After a motor accident, your car is repaired, written off, or valued for a payout. Knowing how insurers assess repair costs and vehicle value helps you challenge a low offer.
Repairs
If the car is repairable, the insurer arranges or approves the work, often through an approved network. You can usually choose your repairer, but using a non approved one may affect the guarantee on the repair.
Write offs
A car is written off when the repair cost approaches or exceeds its value. Insurers use category codes to classify the severity of damage and whether a car can return to the road. You can keep a written off car in some categories, but it must be repaired and re registered to drive.
How the payout is valued
For a total loss, the insurer pays the car’s pre accident market value, based on similar vehicles, condition and mileage. Our explainer on settlements explains how payouts are calculated. If the offer looks low, gather comparable adverts and challenge it; our complaints guide explains the route if you disagree.