After a road traffic accident or other incident that results in your car being written off, you may be left confused with the process and what happens next. This article will help to explain the processes that take place after a vehicle has been written off, depending on the write off category that is given to it, whether you own the car outright, or have a finance plan outstanding which is still being paid.

Understanding what written off means

When a vehicle is "written off" or classed as a "write off", this means that it has received an amount of damage which has been deemed in excess of the vehicle's to put it right. Damage can consist of internal or external damage and depending on the value of your car could even be a minor amount of damage. If the assessor deems the damage to be in excess of your cars market value it could be written off for even the slightest of damage.

There are different types of write off category, depending on the seriousness of the damage your vehicle has been impacted by;

The different write off categories:

There are four different categorisations for write offs, and they affect what happens to your car after they have been written off. The categories were updated in October 2017 so any new write offs would follow these four;

Category A
Vehicles which have experienced an amount of damage so great that it and its parts are deemed unsafe for the road, will be given this category. Receiving this category would mean that your car must be scrapped including all its parts and is not able to be repaired or have its parts removed for resale or reuse.

Category B
As with Category A, receiving a Category B write off means that the vehicle is too damaged to be repaired and is unsafe to ever be put back on the road. The difference with Category B though, is the vehicle's parts could be removed for resale or reuse, but the main structure of the car must be scrapped.

Category S
Vehicles that are given this Category are deemed as "Structurally Damaged Repairable". This means that if your car were to receive a Category S write off, it is eligible to be repaired. Other than some structural damage, there is no other damage deemed permanently unsafe if it were repaired appropriately. Category S vehicles would need to be re-registered once repairs have taken place before they are allowed back on the road.

Category N
The last write off category means that the damage caused to the vehicle is non-structural, or "Not Structurally Damaged Repairable". Category N is used when damage caused is minor and can be repaired without the need to re-register the vehicle before it is put back on the road.

Another thing to keep in mind is how a write off can affect you if your car is still under a finance agreement.

How does a write off affect car finance?

If your car is deemed a write off whilst you still have an active finance agreement against it a number of things are likely to happen.

Firstly, it is worth knowing that your insurance company will likely offer you a settlement price and this amount will vary depending on the nature of the damaged caused.

If your insurer offers you more than is currently owed on an outstanding finance agreement you will be able to settle your finance easily enough. However, if the insurer offers you less than you currently still owe, you would be left with a shortfall that your finance provider will expect to be paid.

As an example; if you originally bought a car for £10,000 on finance and still owe £5,000 at the time your car is written off, if your insurer only offers you £3,500, you would need to find an extra £1,500 to settle the finance agreement.

Keep in mind, that until your vehicle has received its write off categorisation, payments to your finance provider should still be paid as normal. Failing to do so could impact your credit score and make obtaining credit in future more difficult.

What will my finance provider do if my car is written off?

Each finance provider will act differently in circumstances where your vehicle has been written off, but in general they will still want to continue the finance agreement with you and will offer solutions depending on the situation.

Some providers will be happy for you to use the funds you receive from your insurer to buy a new car and then amend your agreement with them to continue paying what was still outstanding. Every provider is different so it is always best to be open with them and discuss your options at the earliest opportunity.

You will also find that sometimes you will be able to buy the car back after you have received a settlement from your insurer, allowing you where eligible to repair the vehicle or sell it for salvage. This would enable you to receive more money for your car than just the settlement offer you receive. This would only apply to Category S and N though, if your car has been given a Category A or B then this option will not be available to you and as part of the settlement the car will be sent to be scrapped.

What can I do with my car if it has been written off?

Following your vehicle being written off, you have different options depending on the write off category that was issued following the incident.

If your car is issued with Category A or Category B, you will not be able to have the car repaired or even resell it.

For Category A, you will need to scrap the vehicle and you can receive a payment for doing so. The amount depends on the type of vehicle you own.

For Category B cars, the best option is also to scrap it, but you could also look at getting a professional to salvage some of the parts beforehand in order to resell them.

If your car was written off as a Category S or category N, then you are able to have the car repaired and put back on the road once they are re-registered with the DVLA where required.

UnwantedCars.co.uk are here to help you get the best value after your vehicle has been written off, regardless of the categorisation.

Use our simple quote form here and we will get you the best price for your damaged car, guaranteed!