no-fault car crash.... write-off... now what?

A question about : no-fault car crash.... write-off... now what?

Hi Everybody!
Unfortunately, I was involved in a accident last night on the M1. I was travelling in lane 1 in a 'roadworks' area. A lorry ( in lane 2 ) forced me off the road as he came across into my lane and clipped my wing mirror.
My car went head-on into the start of a concrete barrier that was in place to protect the workforce. The car is a complete write off.
The lorry driver ( fortunately ) stopped a few hundred yards down the motorway and was interviewed by the police. The police told me to take a photo of a piece of red paint that is on my wing mirror. The cab of the lorry was red in colour.
So....
Now I would like to ask you wonderful people what happens next or what should I do? The policeman who took control last night has given me his details and an accident number etc and said he will contact me today with details of the truck driver/firm etc.
As with loads of people in a similar situation, I can see is that my car, a Rover 75 estate, is worth far less than it will cost me to replace a similar vehicle today.. ANY info would be greatly appreciated as I have never written anything off before.
I don't want to be 'done over' ;-)
Thank yooooooooo!

Best answers:

• After speaking to your insurance company you need to start doing some research on prices. Look on Autotrader etc to find prices of similar cars , with similar mileage and condition in your area and use that figure to negotiate with the insurers.
  You don't have to accept the first offer they make
  Good luck.
• Are you fully comp?
  If not, did the police officer tell you that the lorry driver has accepted responsibility for the accident?
• Start off with the truck's insurer. Unless the truck driver denies responsibility, then that's the best resolution. If he does, just go through your own insurer and let them fight it out.
  You will only receive the market value of your vehicle. Nobody's insurer has any responsibility to put you back in "a nice big comfy estate car" or any other form of betterment. If your 75 was worth a grand, then you'll get a grand - the theory being that you should be able to find a similar 75, availability notwithstanding, for that.
• yes, fully comp and no policeman didnt say driver had accepted liabilty.
  What if a 'have you had an accident in the last three years' caller rings me?? ;-)
• Let your insurance know you have had an accident but that you are unsure what you are doing at this time.
  Get the truck drivers insurance details and go through them for a repair or write off. The write off amount will be market value minus any pre-existing damage to your car. When mine was written off I got much more than I had anticipated as market value was more than I had realised, and more than similar cars were going on autotrader.
  Do you need a hire car, e.g for work or something. You'll need to get this through insurance, or have them ok it for you to get one on your own, but if you don't get it ok's first don't expect them to cough up when you present the bill.
  You can claim for uninsured losses - you can use the legal cover on your own insurance or go through an accident management company, your choice. If you are genuinely injured then make a claim for that too, only you can judge that.
  If there is any dispute in liability then just go through your insurance.
• hope the !!!! loses his license and never steps in a lorry ever again
• Buy a 20p SIM card and give your insurer the number. Once you have your payout throw the SIM away.
  This will save you unwanted phone calls and texts for the next 5/6 years.
  If you weigh up the value of your car, less your excess, plus Ј20-Ј40 for the next few years premium increases against the current value of your car now that's probably worth Ј100-Ј130 scrap or if you sell a few bits off it then scrap it, it may worth out cheaper/easier/quicker to buy another Ј1000 car now and move on.
  If you buy another Rover then remove all the undamaged bits from your damaged car and keep them for spares, you can reuse them on your next car.
• Thank you for all the 'various' posts! AdrianC and Foxy... very good points especially about the sim card :-)
  I am still awaiting the police to call me and then I shall contact the trucks insurance co. Will drag their heals though? I will still contact my insurance as well.... once I have a sim card! ;-)
  I have also made a list of extra stuff that my car has ( not standard fittings ) hoping to add a little onto the payout... is this a possibility?
  Tow bar etc...that alone was Ј125 .
  Cheers again
  any more information from anyone ..... ?
• What time was your crash last night?
  If it was after 10pm I wouldn't expect a call until then.
• Crashing an old car can be real challenge in terms of getting yourself back to the same position.
  What I have always done in this situation is work out what I need to get me back to the same position and then ask for a FULL and FINAL SETTLEMENT. If you feel able to deal with hire cars and don't feel you have suffered any major injury this could work well. In my cases I have never had recovery costs etc. Lorry companies can be a pain though and rarely admit liability.
  If you can manage a FF Settlement you should be able to get back to where you need to be. I sometimes think that for many Whiplash is the only way they feel they can achieve a fair outcome.
• yes Caprikid, I understand that about whiplash, but I walked away totally uninjured... its amazing how these crumple zones and buffers help in such crashes... just amazing- thank goodness!!!! The crash was about 8.15pm... I was just getting interested in the football on the radio! Did Liverpool win?? lol