A bit of a crash...

On Sunday a twat in the back of a taxi opened their door right as I was passing - caused significant damage to left side of my Jimny. See below photos. So sad Anyway, before I get all sentimental, the taxi firms insurance will sort everything out including courtesy car even with me wanting to use my own garage rather than theirs. So that's good. Thing is, the garage I have decided to use and who will give me a quote for repair tomorrow has said they think it's highly likely the taxi firm's insurance company will want my car written off instead and just pay me the market value. IF this happens, of course they'll offer me something way lower than I paid for it. I assume I can demand they pay me a realistic figure and back it up with the used car receipt I have plus the receipt of all the extras I have done (new king pins, discs, pads, brake lines etc)?

Also, if it is to be scrapped and I am paid a realistic figure for it by the insurance company, do I HAVE to relinquish the car or can I not have it as SORN and strip it for parts myself?

A bit of bad luck.

Some insurance companies will let you keep the car as salvage, and pay you the difference between salvage value and market value.
Then you put on a second hand wing in the correct colour, and a few spots of touch up paint and some T-cut, then drive around merrily for years. I think it will be recorded as CAT C or CAT D, it would if your own company had paid out, but that doesn't stop it driving around, only makes it worth a bit less on resale.

No reason to break it for such a tiny little dent, most people who off road them get worse and don't worry.

facade wrote: A bit of bad luck.

Some insurance companies will let you keep the car as salvage, and pay you the difference between salvage value and market value.
Then you put on a second hand wing in the correct colour, and a few spots of touch up paint and some T-cut, then drive around merrily for years. I think it will be recorded as CAT C or CAT D, it would if your own company had paid out, but that doesn't stop it driving around, only makes it worth a bit less on resale.

No reason to break it for such a tiny little dent, most people who off road them get worse and don't worry.

Thanks facade. Well the salvage value of my Jimny must only be about 500 at most. Market value is somewhere between 2500-4000 so I guess it all depends on what LV will offer me for either of those.

If they say fine to the repair quote will it be marked as CAT C or D? If so that's so unfair as the value of it will drop through no fault of my own!

Although i would love to keep her on the road or put her in the hands of someone who would have use for her off road or otherwise, on a practical note I had been thinking of selling the Jimny after my 1 year of insurance no claim was up anyway so this may actually give me the value without having to faff with selling...

If Salvage value= £500 market value= £2500..... £2000 left to fix it......I reckon with 2k you could turn it into a nice looker!

Another option is one I pursued around 15 years ago....small claims court.

Monty Python black knight scene comes to mind

If it is repaired by the insurer then it is not marked at all.

The CAT C & D are only if the car is a total loss = written off.

CAT C means the cost of repair is more than the market value of the car.
CAT D means that they couldn't be bothered repairing it, maybe the parts take 3 weeks to arrive and they don't want to pay 3 weeks car hire, or the repair cost is close to market value.

If the car is old, and low value, a dented door can see it marked as CAT C, if it is 12 months old the damage has to be pretty extreme. There are some salvage sites that sell CAT C & D cars, can be quite amusing to see what they think is "light frontal damage"

Whatever the result I hope it goes in your favor it's a pain in the aris