In the event of a serious loss, an expert will assess whether the amount of repairs does not exceed the value of your car.

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IStock / City Presse

A traffic accident, vandalism or even a hailstorm, countless circumstances which are not necessarily your fault can damage your car.

As soon as it is recent, it is strongly recommended to insure it with an “all risks” contract, the only one able to compensate your material damage.

But beware, this protection has a size limit.

A question of value

There is a principle in automobile insurance, as Alexis Merkling explains, from the damage and liability insurance division at the French Insurance Federation (FFA): “The indemnity is capped at the price of your vehicle. on the day of the accident ”.

The whole problem is then to determine this amount to then determine the future of the damaged car.

Most often, it is the “market or economic value” that is taken into account.

To do this, the expert will use the Argus rating - a benchmark for automobile transactions - and refine the assessment by examining the car as if it had not been damaged.

Mileage, general maintenance, service book and good technical control are all elements that can influence this estimate up or down.

The idea is to get as close as possible to the price at which the vehicle could have been sold on the second-hand market just before the accident.

Note that some contracts offer "replacement value" (here the price corresponds to that of a second-hand vehicle of the same type and in a similar condition) or, for a certain period (the first twelve months for example), the “Replacement value” and therefore allow a better valuation of the vehicle.

Roll anyway

After a claim, the first instinct is to call your insurer within five working days.

He will mandate an expert responsible for determining the amount of repairs to be made, while evaluating the famous value of your car.

Is the restoration going in the nails?

You will only have to pay the excess to the mechanic, before driving your vehicle back out once it has been repaired.

But what happens when the vehicle is "economically irreparable", in other words when the estimate exceeds its value?

It all depends on his condition.

Sometimes the damage is particularly costly to repair but remains aesthetic, without impacting the mechanics and safety of the car.

"The insurer will then offer the owner to buy back his vehicle, at the estimated value, and scrapped it," explains Alexis Merkling.

But if the insured prefers to keep it, the insurance company will pay him compensation and must declare this operation in the vehicle registration system, which has the effect of prohibiting its resale to individuals.

In this case, the motorist will therefore be able to continue driving but will never be able to sell his car again, except to a professional so that he can use his parts.

The wreckage value may also be deducted from the compensation awarded to the driver.

Imagine that the market value is 2,000 euros and that we can extract 500 as a wreck.

The insurer will therefore pay 1,500 euros.


On the other hand, if the vehicle is too badly damaged to circulate, its owner will have no choice: the insurer will buy it from him and scrapped it.

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Choose your repairer

In the event of an automobile accident, your insurer will offer you a list of authorized garage owners near you.

These are professionals who have signed a partnership with the company.

In principle, this ensures you a faster and simpler support since you will have no upfront costs to make, only the deductible to pay.

If you are not satisfied with the repairs, you can also refer them to your insurer.


However, the law imposes a free choice of the mechanic.

If you wish, you can therefore contact your usual garage.

But be careful to ask for a preliminary estimate since there may be a difference between his assessment of the amount of repairs and that of the expert.

  • Insurance

  • Road accident

  • Car

  • Automotive

  • Contract