Looking for a bit of advice please.

Last week The Wife’s Polo was damaged by a passing car. The Polo was parked opposite our drive, I was working on my car in the drive, when a chap clipped the driver’s front wing and door mirror when he drove past. I manage to stop him driving away thanks to the T junction and other traffic on the road. He admitted responsibility and I got all of his details, and took loads of photos.

A family member works as an “insurance claims solution provider”, meaning he will do all of the leg work as far as the claim goes.

My worry is that the repair will cost more than the Polo is worth, a category D write off, beyond economical repair. The damage is only a big scratch, not structural, not unsafe. I’ve been advised that it will go one of two ways. Either they will pay out for the repair or I’ll get the value of the car in settlement. I’ll still get to keep the car as well. All’s good so far.

So I’m left with a cat D car that I’ll get repaired as good as new.

Question is will I have problems insuring it come renewal time and or will the premiums go through the roof due to the cat D status?

Thoughts please?

I’ll get the value of the car in settlement. I’ll still get to keep the car as well.

You’ve nothing to lose then. If the quotes don’t suit, sell it and use the payout to buy a replacement.

I bought a cat D once and did the work myself, my insurance was exactly the same as it was on the slightly older and lower spec version of the car which it replaced.

Put the pay out in savings keep the scratch on the car. Insurance shouldnt be affected by the cat D bit ime.

Don’t tell his insurer that he admitted responsibility as they may refuse to cover him. Rule No. 1: Never admit responsibilty at the scene of an accident.

I know it is wrong, but read your small print…

Don’t tell his insurer that he admitted responsibility as they may refuse to cover him.

That’s only an issue for him, not for you (as in they might try to claw the payment back from him), and is largely rubbish anyway. Not legal for them to try to avoid their responsibility to pay you that way.

Question is will I have problems insuring it come renewal time and or will the premiums go through the roof due to the cat D status?

Have a Cat D Fiesta. Insured with Aviva. No real difference.

They did want an engineers report at the start, though. This was a line of text on headed paper from the guy who did the car up saying ‘it’s ok’.

I think it might be so they can shift liability if the wheels fall off and you kill a orphan helping a nun across the road.

Can’t imagine why they’d care – makes no difference to their risk?

I’m waiting for the repair quote to come back, his insurance may well request an engineers report, if so I’ll be able to use that if my insurance requests it.

TBH the Polo isn’t worth much, worth more to us as it was really tidy before the Kia shaped scratch, is really low miles, reliable, cheap to run. Was planning on running it until it dies, so any reduction in the resale value due to the cat D is largely moot.