My car was damaged today in an accident. How do I stop it being written off?

Not being an insurance expert, or living in Germany, you should not take my advice as literal. However, having said that, I agree with Tuppen. Although the company will write the car off, there will be a written of cost, this is the price they will offer the car at. Don't be afraid to negotiate with them. Just because the price they are asking is 'what they say', that doesn't mean to say that their word if final. Remember how long you have been with the insurer, how much you have paid in fees over the years and, lastly but not leastly YOU ARE THE CUSTOMER! They will be looking for an easy and quick solution to this and will not want it hanging around. Start by offering them a LOW price and then decide from there.

Finally, for your own safety, just be sure that the impact has not had any lasting and potentially dangerous affect, such as the chassis being distorted. Money and love for your old jalopy is one thing, but your health & safety should be paramount!

Good luck

As it is 11 years you can be almost certain it will be written off ! Though i know exactly what you mean about the value of the car to YOU, the bottom line is on the book, which is what the insurance people will go by, an 11 year old high mileage Audi is worth very little.

When quoting for an insurance repair the repair shop have to assess using new parts cost. The cost of a new bumper and new tailgate (both of which would come in primer) plus the labour of transfering the glass, wiring etc and then spraying, will almost certainly exceed the book value of your car. Providing there is no chassis damage, when the insurers make their offer to you, you could ask the cost to buy it back as is, and buy a s/h tail gate and bumper, both of which are easy enough to fit..

An insurance write off does not mean it is not repairable it means it will cost more to repair than the car is worth.Bearing in mind an insurance repair includes returning the bodywork to the same finish as new so a respray is always included.You should be able to get the car back and settle for a nominal value of the car you then have to get it repaired you can do this yourself or get a mechanic to do it for you.Try and find a garage that will use second hand parts and don't bother to get it resprayed.You will not be able to drive the car until it has passed a new MOT I presume the system in germany is the same as the uk

Even though you live in Germany and I handled claims in the US, most things are the same.

1st; you were read-ended, so fault is not in question.

2nd; if the cost to repair your car is more than it is worth, they can only pay the value of your car period. Would you pay $2,000 for a VCR when you can buy new for $150? The same applies in cars.

3rd; getting an attorney does nothing. you go to court and state my repairs to fix this great car would cost $6,000 and the value is worth $1,000, and even though they are liable, they are not responsible for $6,000, only $1,000. They value your car pre-accident. So if not for this accident and if you had sold your car, you could only get $1,000.

If it has high mileage, worth less, same for low mileage worth more.

You may have to take the value of your car and apply it to a down payment of another car, which might leave you with a loan.

Call your own insurance company for advice, since they will have your interests at heart and they will advise you of your options. Also, in the US, in some states, you cannot repair a vehicle or register it if it is totaled, so need to find out the laws where you live.

good luck

Tuppin is right, although I'm not sure it's possible in Germany (I'm in Germany too).

The fact is that cars get written off for a reason. If the cost to get the car back on the road are higher than what you would get if you sold it, then the car is written off. If you have a way of getting it fixed on the cheap then OK, but otherwise you would be paying more than what you get from the insurance company to get it repaired. That is not exactly sensible even if you love the car.

the most common reason for any vehicle being written off is being "beyond economical repair" i.e the cost of parts & extortionate labour costs outweigh the trade list price of the vehicle. you can negotiate with the insurance company to buy the vehicle back, generally at reasonable cost taken from the settlement fee, never accept the first price! play the you want the car but it's going to cost you x amount to get it up to scatch card. be advised it will be recorded as accident damaged on check registers!!!

You cannot stop it being written off. If it costs more to repair than the market value you will get paid the market value and then you can use the cash toward a new car - end of.

sorry to hear about your accident..speak 2 your insurers demand you want your old car repairing at whatever cost,the other persons insurance will have to pay those costs if they have admitted liability to causing the crash..maybe a good solicitor can help recouping any out of pocket expenses ie bus fares,hire cars etc..

get an estimate to fix the car that is less than 80% of the the book value

Contact the insurance ask them.