Claim for loss of earnings

Does anyone now if i can claim for loss of earnings from a insurance company, I was in my van and was hit by another van my insures give me a hire van while my claim was being sorted out, out of the blue a cheque came but was undervalued for my van so i contacted them saying I'm refusing the cheque and they said they will have to speak to the engineer and will call me back. no one called me back and a week later the hire van people called me to say that because i had been given a settlement cheque they will be taking back the van, i told them that i have not accepted the cheque and to talk to them about it. That evening a man from the hire place came to clamp the van and was taking it back the next day. The next day i phoned the insures to tell them what happened and they said they will call me back, but again they did not so i spent a week off work because i had no van. can i claim or do i have to pay a solicitor to deal with it.