When insurance wants to avoid doing their part.

This situation is extremely frustrating. My claim has been approved, yet the car was assessed as “drivable” without the assessor even taking it for a test drive. Shortly after, the car broke down in the middle of the road and had to be towed by their roadside assistance.

Two days later, the claims department instructed me to collect the car and take it to a mechanic—at my own cost—to confirm that the breakdown is linked to the accident. Only then, when they are ready to repair the external damage, must I take it to the panel beaters. The problem is, the car is now undrivable and sitting in their yard, yet I won’t even get a courtesy car because their records still show it as “drivable,” despite the fact that it was towed by them to their yard.

I was told the assessor’s photos show exterior damage and that the engine appears fine. I’m not a mechanic, but I don’t believe you can determine if a car is operational just from photos. I’ve never heard of a situation where a client with an active, approved claim has to pay out of pocket for a mechanic to convince the insurer to proceed with repairs.