car accident, being ripped-off, advice would be appreciated!

Hi Rob

Sorry to hear about your accident.  First of all if depending on the type of damage and write off classification you may be able to report this matter to your insurers and they will send you the value of your vehicle but allow you to buy it back at scrappage price for you to repair it accordingly.  To be very honest if the damage is of the highest classification making it unsafe for them to sell back to you it may be worth considering your own safety and allow it to be scrapped and seek a new vehicle of the same value.

Unfortunately unless you use insurers you have no recourse as to the value of the car or what the other party ought to pay unless you persue him in a civil action for the full cost of the repairs.  Indeed if you wish to get your car repaired privately provided you have an invoice you ought to be able to recover the sum from the other parties insurers direct by simply producing your invoice to them and ask them to pay up.  The ought to have no issue if the value is reasonable.

So you have a couple of options.  Bear in mind if the matter is not reported to any insurers at all and you have been injured you may find it difficult to claim for Personal Injury.  Another thing you may wish to consider is that without his admission of liability formally on your records you may receive a claim from the people in the car in front!!!!  Insurers would have to get involved at that point and may raise issues in relation to cover if the matter was not reported to them.

I hope this helps.