Can a Category C Total Loss car be roadworthy without repair?

Question

I was involved in an accident a few days back and the other driver admitted fault. I have gone through an accident managent company who offered me a courtesy car while my claim was being dealt with. Yesterday they called me to say that my car has been inspected and deemed a total loss (category c), BUT it was still roadworthy and therefore I had to return their courtesy car and collect my own car as they "could not justify providing a hire car".

I am a little confused. How can a written off car be roadworthy? I have heard that category c damage needs to be repaired and then an inspector needs to assess it to deem it being roadworthy.

It also says in the paperwork provided by the accident management company that I was entitled to a courtesy car until my claim was settled.

Are they right in asking for the courtesy car back? Or am I entitled to keep it until I have been paid out?

Urgent replies would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

An insurance write off is when the cost of repair is greater than 60% of the value of the car.

If your car is valued at £500.00 and has a scrape down one side of it, basically  just a paint job ,then the cost of repair may well be more than £300.00 so the car will be written off even though it is still roadworthy !

In regard to the courtesy car in the small print you will probabily find stated that they will offer you a couresy car while your car is being repaired at an authorised garage however your car is not being repaired so your right to a courtesy car ends.

Answer 2

From what I know a Catagory C vehicle has been deemed totalled but repairable.

So there should be no structural damage, very light frame damage.

Only body panels air bags, and other mechanical items such as radiator shold need replacing.

Note than you will recieve a rebuilt ((salvage) title after repairing this car and making it road worthy again.

However even though the car seems good again it will show that it is a previously damaged car and will be worth only about 1/2 of whatever it currently books for.

www.KBB.com

Answer 3

Cat C and D are not economically repairable using original manufacturers parts and labour prices.  However as said, the damage may not be sufficient to make the car unroadworthy, so you coudl get it fixed by a non main dealer authorised repairer.  Even after repair the car will be recorded as a writeoff and it shoudl be professionally inspected, byt I think Autolign to confirm it is straight.  It will not be worth a lot if you sell if, and if you do and you dont declare it as a CatC the buyer can probablyu get you to return their money when they find out.

The alternative is that your insurer will give you their assessment of the value of the car less the excess.  You will find they think it is worth a lot less than it woudl cost to replace with like, so never accept their first offer if you go this route.  Get adverts for what yours was like befolre showing that their value is too low and argue.