Car crash...Insurance Question?!

Farls

Hi all,

I hope this is the right forum to ask this question in.

I was in a bad car crash in may of this year where a drunk driver collided with me head on. My question is not about personal injuries, I had however an 8 month old top of the range jeep at the time which was written off. I was just after importing this vehicle from the UK and had it valued at 40k on my insurance policy, the market rate here. I had the vehicle almost sold for 36k at the time of the accident but now its written off the insurance company are only valuing it at 26k...the UK price for the vehicle as this particular model is not available in Ireland.

Unlike many I cleared the jeep as soon as I brought it to Ireland and paid the VRT etc so it was a full Irish vehicle but still my insurance company will only give me the english valuation of it. Does anybody have any advice on what I could do to prove it was worth a LOT more? I've already sent in the add from CBG where I was selling it for 36k and the VRT receipt saying the government value it at 36k. It just seems the insurance companies assessors won't giv that valuation as it can't be purchased in Ireland. Any advice anyone? Its with my solicitor now but any ideas would help?

Thanks

(olin.

Pat Mustard

Farls wrote: »

Hi all,

I hope this is the right forum to ask this question in.

I was in a bad car crash in may of this year where a drunk driver collided with me head on. My question is not about personal injuries, I had however an 8 month old top of the range jeep at the time which was written off. I was just after importing this vehicle from the UK and had it valued at 40k on my insurance policy, the market rate here. I had the vehicle almost sold for 36k at the time of the accident but now its written off the insurance company are only valuing it at 26k...the UK price for the vehicle as this particular model is not available in Ireland.

Unlike many I cleared the jeep as soon as I brought it to Ireland and paid the VRT etc so it was a full Irish vehicle but still my insurance company will only give me the english valuation of it. Does anybody have any advice on what I could do to prove it was worth a LOT more? I've already sent in the add from CBG where I was selling it for 36k and the VRT receipt saying the government value it at 36k. It just seems the insurance companies assessors won't giv that valuation as it can't be purchased in Ireland. Any advice anyone? Its with my solicitor now but any ideas would help?

Thanks

(olin.

A motor assessor is a professional who deals with these things. Your solicitor will probably hire one for you. The motor assessor will give a pre-accident value of the jeep. From your side, you could drop into a few car dealers and ask them what would the value of your vehicle have been at the time of the accident, but ask them for a range of values, retail value (given the year and the mileage), 'book value', new price etc.

Farls

Thanks for the reply, my solicitor got an independant assessor to value the vehicle and he came up with a more accurate figure. We sent this to the insurance company but they are sticking with their own assessors report and my solicitor contacted him directly but he is refusing to change his valuation until I can provide a receipt saying the vehicle cost me 36k. I can't produce this as buying it in the UK meant I got cheaper through some dealing.

My question is that if the vehicle is Irish I think I am right to expect an Irish valuation of it not a UK one as it was an Irish vehicle at the time of the accident?

Jaysoose

Sounds like the insurance company dont want to cover your profit for you, bit of bad luck here but i can understand their stance.

axer

Farls wrote: »

Thanks for the reply, my solicitor got an independant assessor to value the vehicle and he came up with a more accurate figure. We sent this to the insurance company but they are sticking with their own assessors report and my solicitor contacted him directly but he is refusing to change his valuation until I can provide a receipt saying the vehicle cost me 36k. I can't produce this as buying it in the UK meant I got cheaper through some dealing.

My question is that if the vehicle is Irish I think I am right to expect an Irish valuation of it not a UK one as it was an Irish vehicle at the time of the accident?

I think you could go after them for the cost of the vehicle plus the costs to bring it to Ireland (including VRT etc).

You are not supposed to make a profit out of insurance thus they don't have to give you market value here just enough to replace exactly as you had it.

Farls

axer wrote: »

I think you could go after them for the cost of the vehicle plus the costs to bring it to Ireland (including VRT etc).

You are not supposed to make a profit out of insurance thus they don't have to give you market value here just enough to replace exactly as you had it.

Thats the thing though, the valuation I'm getting back from the insurance company won't replace exactly what I had, which is a joke as it was only 8 months at the time. Leaves me out thousands as it was only by luck I got such cheap vehicle in the first place.

Really infuriating to think that a drunk driver can almost kill you and you end up covering the cost.

axer

Farls wrote: »

Thats the thing though, the valuation I'm getting back from the insurance company won't replace exactly what I had, which is a joke as it was only 8 months at the time. Leaves me out thousands as it was only by luck I got such cheap vehicle in the first place.

Really infuriating to think that a drunk driver can almost kill you and you end up covering the cost.

but I thought they were going to give you the UK price for the vehicle whereas you are looking for the Irish price? What you should be asking from them instead of the Irish valuation is the UK valuation plus the VRT and delivery expenses.

Pat Mustard

By the way, I hope you are not going to claim this on your own insurance unless it's just a temporary position while you sue the driver who wrote off your vehicle. You should really sue him and have his insurance co. pay all of your losses. There is less scope for insurance companies messing around when you sue their insured.

Farls

The Mustard wrote: »

By the way, I hope you are not going to claim this on your own insurance unless it's just a temporary position while you sue the driver who wrote off your vehicle. You should really sue him and have his insurance co. pay all of your losses. There is less scope for insurance companies messing around when you sue their insured.

I was going to take the money off my insurance and they chase his insurance for their costs but now I think I'll go for his insurance, its really the only option I have left.

Yes they got the 'book' price of the vehicle in the UK, added on the VRT and then took off 20% for wear and tear!! The book price is less than the vehicles are making though.

What I was hoping for here, apart from a rant about it, was that possibly I've missed something or some way in which I could undoubtably prove its worth?! I'm going out on a limb already I think though I'll go back to my original plan of beating the drunk idiot with a wheel brace!!!

Thanks for the replies though