Is this a write off?

[Hopper]

Neighbours wall collapsed on my lovely 2018 Berlingo Van! Bonnet, NS wing, passenger door, sliding door, A pillar and sill all damaged. Only purchased in April, 75000 miles and FDSH. It was in VGC prior to this and just had a full service. Gutted.

[geoff]

From an insurers perspective quite possibly yes

From an owners perspective quite probably no

It looks ugly but should still drive ok and safely

I'd run it around without worry

If the insurers want to write it off I'd consider a lesser payout for the vehicle and keep it on the road and perform any cosmetic repairs / leave as is apart from a mirror of course.
If you want to do ^^^ then don't let the insurers remove the vehicle from your property until you get a resolution to your satisfaction.

[notsofast]

It's a fairly safe bet that you value your van more than an insurance company will, so Geoff's suggestion could be the way to go.  The damage isn't mechanical nor particularly structural.  If the corrosion prevention function of the paintwork has been compromised anywhere, then that would be a priority of mine to get fixed if I went down that route. I've just had a quick google for used B9 passenger doors and on ebay they seem to be going for less than £200, sliding doors are similar but with perhaps less choice.

[Sol]

That's a definite write off. A-pillar damage is structural so it will be done for. Push for loss of earnings etc. No B9 should die like that.

[jj9]

Sorry to read of your misfortune.

I would say yes that would be a total loss on the basis that it would uneconomical to repair. The repair costs include everything, transport, repairs, courtesy vehicle etc.

An insurance assessor will have to view the vehicle and make a report on the damage, if you intend to keep the vehicle Do not let them remove it for any reason or you will more then likely never see it again.  

I take it you will registering a claim with your neighbours building insurance?



.

[ItsGreen]

Insurance won't normally want to get involved with any sort of pillar repair in case it becomes a factor in a future accident. They can be repaired, but it would need to be done by someone who's work you really trust.

[notsofast]

I've done a bit of reading around and it seems there are 4 active categories of write-off:

 A - can't be repaired and entire vehicle must be crushed
 B - can't be repaired and body must be crushed, but other serviceable parts are salvageable
 S - structural damage that can be repaired, and vehicle can be used once made roadworthy
 N - non-structural damage that can be repaired, and vehicle can be used once made roadworthy

This Autocar article - https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/advic...-need-know - gives the examples of "a bent chassis or creased door frame" as examples of repairable structural damage.

Apparently insurers consider a repairable vehicle a write-off (i.e. categories S and N) if the cost of the repairs amounts to more than half the vehicle's value.
As the damage on your B9 covers a lot of bodywork, it seems likely it would fall under category S.

This article by GoCompare is quite informative about what happens when a vehicle is written off - https://www.gocompare.com/car-insurance/...y-c-and-d/  Surprise surprise, it seems like the insurance companies call the shots (it looks like if the vehicle is written off, but you want to keep it, then, having accepted an agreed settlement from the insurance company, you'll have to buy your vehicle back from them, at the price of 10-30% of its value....)

[Hopper]

Thanks everyone for all the helpful input, really appreciated.

[Romahomepete]

You need some proper advice, since it is not your fault you/your insurance should be claiming from your neighbour and their insurance who have a responsibility to put you back to the position you were in before the incident.

Peter

[Sol]

Exactly, maybe either speak to your insurers to get the process from them or contact someone like Digby Brown. Your insurers would claim against the property owners insurers.