Being involved in a road traffic accident is never a nice experience, but it can be even worse if it leaves your vehicle unfit for purpose. No matter who was at fault, if a car is damaged to a point that it would cost more than it’s worth to repair it, most auto insurance companies simply won’t pay out. Being left with no car and nothing in the way of an insurance claim can be a very frustrating situation. Thankfully, there are a few things that you can do to get back on the road again as quickly as possible.
#1. Scrap Car Buyers:
If you want to try and salvage as much money as possible for your damaged vehicle in order to purchase yourself a new one, then you may want to consider selling it to a junk car buyer. These buyers purchase damaged and unusable vehicles for a number of reasons; whether they fix them up to re-sell them, use them for other car parts, or simply sell them on as scrap metal. This can be a very easy and convenient method of selling a badly damaged car, since you can be sure that the buyer is expecting the worst. However, on the down side, you may not get a great price – this will usually depend on the type of car that you have, and the extent of the damage in some cases.
#2. Pay for Repairs:
Even if your auto insurance company won’t pay out, there’s nothing to say that you cannot at least try to repair your vehicle if you believe it will be a cheaper option than replacing it. However, be sure that you take your car to a qualified, reputable mechanic – somebody who isn’t well experienced with getting unusable cars back on the road could end up making an even bigger mess. But, bear in mind that this isn’t always the best option – unless your car is very valuable and the damage is repairable, then you will probably save money by purchasing a new one. If you plan to repair your car, you should also have it regularly checked for any hidden damage. This is especially true if you were involved in a very serious accident; damage to the inside of your car and under the bonnet isn’t always as apparent as damage to the bodywork.
#3. Vehicle Part-Exchange:
In some cases, used auto dealerships will take damaged cars as part payment for a new vehicle. However, if your car has been deemed unusable by your auto insurance company, then you should be careful when trying this idea – many car dealerships won’t take on cars that are damaged to an extent that would cost them a lot to repair. However, if a dealer thinks that your vehicle has the potential to make them a profit once they have fixed it up, you may be able to use to it cover all or part of the cost of a new vehicle.
Would you like to add to this list? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.
