At an early stage the insurance company for the Respondent will conduct their investigations into liability for the accident. If they accept that their driver is responsible for the accident, then they will have your vehicle assessed and will place a pre-accident value on your vehicle.
If the vehicle can be repaired the insurance company will usually arrange for an approved garage to conduct the repairs and they will discharge the bill directly to that garage.
If your vehicle is beyond economic repair, the insurance company will allow you a salvage value for the vehicle and will pay you the reminder of the value of the vehicle.
It is very important that you contact your personal injury solicitor before you negotiate with the insurance company. You must be careful to ensure that when you are accepting the offer for your vehicle damage claim, that you are not inadvertently settling all claims against the Respondent. Therefore, if you are to accept any money in respect of your vehicle damage claim it must be specifically stated that you are accepting that on the strict understanding that it does not impede your personal injury action.
The best thing to do is to get legal advice before you sign any documents for the insurance company or before you accept any settlement whatsoever.
*In contentious business a solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage or proportion of any award of settlement.
**This information is for guidance purposes only. It does not constitute legal or professional advice, professional or legal advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from any action as a result of the contents of this publication. No liability is accepted by McElhinney & Associates for any action taken in reliance on the information contained herein. Any and all information is subject to change.
